


Villain AU: The Asks Archive

by death_frisbee, im_fairly_witty



Series: Villain AU [3]
Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Gen, Worldbuilding, excellent meta from the readers, general shenenigans, it took forever to pull together but it was super fun to read through everything again, mostly archiving here for the author's sake but yall can see it too if you like, this archive has it all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-06-29 11:51:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 93,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19829623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/death_frisbee/pseuds/death_frisbee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_fairly_witty/pseuds/im_fairly_witty
Summary: Villain au is the glorious by-product of hundreds of asks from readers over on tumblr that helped flesh out backstory and plot and they are now stockpiled here for archiving purposes.Chapter 1 is the index page, and the following chapters contain the asks as they were received chronologically to make them more easily searchable for myself and anyone else who might want to rifle through the archive as well.(Extra note: tumblr ask usernames will be included where possible, but some errors or omissions are bound to be made by the sheer bulk of this archiving project.)





	1. Archive Index

**Author's Note:**

> Like seriously, you guys asked a TON of questions, just get a load of this index page.

**Coco Villain AU Index**

(Content ordered chronologically and by the month it was created)

**Chapter 2 - March 2018**

  * Why there’s still a music ban
  * V!Hector is nicer than Canon!Ernesto
  * Hector’s love turns into a knife
  * Ernesto cared about Miguel?
  * Macbeth comparison essay
  * Other family members aware?
  * Going to write more?
  * On Imector’s side
  * Instinct to call wife
  * Godfather quote
  * Process of dying
  * How killed people?
  * How did he know the shotglass was poisoned?
  * How did they keep reporter quiet?
  * Imector death
  * How was Imelda affected?
  * How Miguel ends up in the LOTD
  * Innocent victims
  * Slythrpuff Imector
  * Sunrise spectacular timing
  * Kill count
  * Imector's death actually an accident car wreck?
  * Tracking down past victims in the LOTD
  * Imector’s death
  * Hector looks good for age
  * Imelda meme
  * Glad Hector isn’t sleeping on the couch
  * Small differences between villain and accidental poison au and Hector kills the stalker
  * When Miguel wakes up dead
  * Miguel’s picture on the ofrenda?
  * Miguel getting mental health help?
  * Will Miguel recover?
  * Family members arriving and finding out?
  * Reaction ask
  * Reaction ask
  * Reaction ask
  * Reaction ask
  * Song recs
  * Ernesto killed by pepita
  * Miguel a bad end friend
  * What’s Coco like and Ruy’s first illustration



**Chapter 3 - April 2018**

  * What happened to Ruy??
  * Ruy’s a jerk?
  * Imector cleans up after Ruy?
  * Ruy = Mozart In The Jungle?
  * What are the Imector kids like?
  * What year Ruy died?
  * Ernesto’s skull markings?
  * Where did they get their alebrijes?
  * Reaction ask
  * Cheers I’ll drink to that bro ask.
  * Coverage of Imector funeral
  * Would Ruy wonder if he was murdered?
  * Victims didn’t know they were murdered
  * Luisa’s reaction
  * Punching Hector?
  * Imector’s domain a house of cards?
  * Reaction ask
  * Can trace domino effect of evil choices
  * Were twins involved?
  * Quique the main character
  * Parents who don’t believe their missing child is dead
  * Pun ask
  * Alebrijes warp with the owner’s personalities
  * Official timeline
  * Pun ask
  * What happened to Vico??
  * Socorro’s history
  * Chiche and Ernesto’s relationship?
  * Can skeletons get hangovers?
  * What if Ruy had found Miguel? What if Miguel had been sent home?
  * What if Hector had changed his mind and sent Miguel home?
  * Hector and Ruy actually have a lot in common, all the boys have the Rivera Extra gene
  * Canon and teacher and villain Imector’s facing off?
  * Thinking about Miguel at the grocery store
  * TV tropes page
  * Couples who clean blood off each other stay together oneshot
  * Teacher Ernesto with villain ernesto?
  * Imector in romance movies
  * Hitting Hector
  * Hitting Hector
  * Coyote vs wolf with Ernesto vs villain!Hector
  * Even if it kills me meme
  * You ruined a perfectly good Miguel! He has anxiety!
  * Has villain Imector ever fought?
  * Yolo
  * How many Imector grandkids?
  * Hector gaslighting people
  * V!Hector w/ teacher Ernesto
  * What if Hector smashed the shotglass instead?
  * Ruy at the charity ball



**Chapter 4 - May 2018**

  * Villain and canon Imelda joke
  * Hector is like The Vulture villain in Spiderman
  * Imector touring internationally
  * Dinkleburg Ruy meme
  * Goodbye - Ruy’s funeral oneshot
  * How Miguel got to Hector
  * If Miguel was happy with Ruy and his face fell when he saw Hector
  * Is Miguel’s jacket the same one?
  * Imelda is the actually terrifying one



**Chapter 5 - June 2018**

  * How does Miguel react to “remember me”
  * Does Hector’s relationships with his kids change in other aus?
  * Do Hector and Ruy have a better relationship in other au’s?
  * First Ruia background from both authors
  * Caprice's backstory
  * If Ruy met teacher Imector?
  * Follow up to previous
  * Caprice sits on Ruy
  * Hector’s goofy traits
  * What kind of parents would they be if they weren't murderers?
  * Ruy respects his mother in all universes
  * Imelda’s relationship with her children
  * How did Ruy and Iria meet?
  * Imector is still mushy with each other and drives their kids crazy
  * Tio Nesto in a non murder au
  * Motivation behind writing Ruia
  * Song list
  * Vico is insane by definition
  * Why Ruy calls Hector Papi
  * How did Vico get that way
  * Vico the “perfected Miguel”?
  * Pepita protecting Ruy
  * What could Hector have done instead of murder
  * Ruia oneshot - “a good thing”
  * Ruy song rec
  * Lots of psychology in the au



**Chapter 6 - July 2018**

  * Hector did _not_ kill Ruy
  * HectorRiverasEyelashes in villain au
  * Who would be first family member to be forgotten
  * Anon on Hector’s side
  * Follow-up
  * Horseback rides with Caprice?
  * Ruy’s cooking skills
  * Ruy’s fav snacks from around the world
  * How would the twins react if the truth got out
  * Worst end Ruy au
  * Multiverse saving of Ruy
  * Imector vs the addams family
  * Multiverse save au
  * The conditional love of villain Hector
  * Does Ruy recognize the love is conditional?
  * Go back in time and chuck the phone comic
  * What does Miguel think about Hector?
  * How is Ruy’s name pronounced
  * Does Ruy ever work with singers too?
  * Universes where Ruy has a good life
  * Multiverse save au
  * Hector’s fake tooth
  * The fake villain Ruy au video
  * Buzzfeed unsolved episode on Hector and Imelda's death



**Chapter 7 - August 2018**

  * Ruy song rec
  * When did Ruy and Hector’s relationship get rough?
  * Ruia kids
  * More Vico content?
  * How did Imector rationalize it all/kill list
  * First person interview with Ruy
  * Why Imelda’s murdered stalker didn't get to tattle on them
  * Ruy fermata oneshots
  * Will Ruy end up in any other au’s?
  * Wanted Imelda to forgive Hector...until it got so bad
  * Anyone else writing villain content?
  * “Why do you hate the characters?”
  * Why Ruy is my favorite
  * Imelda’s nightmares
  * Harmony - Babby Ruy and papa Hector oneshot
  * Of Imector who is the more evil?
  * Inspiration for Ruy
  * Seba and Ruy OC ask chat
  * Fashion headcanons for Hector and Ruy
  * Iria’s inspiration
  * Why use Letti and Matty?
  * What year does the au happen
  * Complications with Teto's death
  * Who is the real villain in villain au meta discussion with readers
  * Continued
  * Continued
  * Continued
  * Continued
  * Continued
  * “
  * “
  * “
  * “
  * What if Hector had only suspected instead of known but swapped glasses
  * More meta
  * Imector doesn't value human life
  * More meta
  * “
  * Reaction ask
  * Ruy voice actor
  * Maria-Teresa's lawsuit against Hector
  * Why the murdered biographers did not tattle
  * Ruia wedding



**Chapter 8 - September 2018**

  * Iria at Ruy’s grave
  * About Teban and why he married Iria
  * “
  * Teban’s sexuality
  * How do Teban and Ruy get along
  * Possibility of Ruia reuniting?
  * What inspired villain au?
  * Star-crossed - Ruia oneshot, Ruy visits Iria on her side
  * What about Luzia?
  * How Iria heard about Ruys death
  * How his family found out
  * How Iria was named
  * Connected afterlives
  * What Hector and Teto look like
  * If lashes was interested in Teto/victor
  * Complementary - Victor and Jasmine first date oneshot
  * Finale - Ruia’s reunion after the timeline finishes
  * What happened to Dante and Pepita afterward
  * Was Hector’s music affected by his dark soul
  * Hector will still be separated from Imelda now, just like in canon, after everything they did
  * Will Imector ever accept responsibility
  * How did Hector’s imprisonment affect his music, also his shattered hand?
  * How the twins react to the truth coming out
  * How did all the kids react to the truth
  * Everything had to be pulled down by outsiders
  * Will Hector ever feel remorse? Will Imector try to contact any of the boys?
  * The history of Ruy’s three concertos with illustration
  * Canon Ruy taking Hector to meet Iria
  * Villain au characters as Onion headlines
  * The pit of despair
  * Does Vico’s murderer get saved from the cement
  * How do Hector and Vico do during their respective sentences in prison/asylum, other family members reacting when they die



**Chapter 9 - October/November/December 2018**

  * How the Imector kids got named
  * The story of Canela
  * Different sides of the afterlife
  * Imelda’s face markings and Imector altering them with gold and jewels



**November 2018**

  * Are all Rodrigo’s dramatic??
  * Another year - Ruy oneshot of visiting central park for a quiet even while dead
  * How child development class factored into my writing
  * How Teto and Jasmine died
  * The story of Jasmine’s alebrije Cisco



D **ecember 2018**

  * What career Teto has in other universes
  * Digging into spirit bonding with animal by-product objects like fur
  * Teto and Ruy bonding over their pets
  * Who would be Teto/Victor’s voice actor
  * Reaction ask
  * Sample of Ruy’s music style
  * A Truce - oneshot about Teto and Ruy as kids
  * Virtual pets becoming alebrijes?
  * Hector’s fate in prison
  * Some of Ruy’s favorite things
  * Teto facts



**January (Creator social media hiatus)**

**Chapter 10 - February through August 2019**

  * What did Mari do after the truth came out
  * What do Ruia’s kids look like in universes where they exist
  * Villain Hector appropriate quote
  * Jasmin and Teto/Victor’s kids
  * Miguel's therapist, an OC from @doodleimprovement



**March 2019**

  * Seba and Iria's voice actors
  * Seba raging against Hector
  * Iria's relationship with Charlott, Big Daddy and Louis, has Ruy met them
  * Why there's not many headcanons for Matty and Letti
  * Skeletal markings for Ruy, Seba, Teto/Victor and Jasmine across universes
  * The daughter of Ruy's PR manager Trevor
  * Iria's skeletal markings



**May 2019**

  * What Ruy was like as a kid
  * Why Imector's second murder was what really locked them into a path of villainy



**June 2019**

  * What Tiana and Naveen thought about Iria's relationship with an addict
  * The authors visit NYC Ruy landmarks for his birthday



**August 2019**

  * Parallels between Victoria's defeat and the defeat of Princess Azula from Avatar the Last Airbender




	2. March 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All tumblr posts and asks published during March 2018 in chronological order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is when the au first kicked off, a lot of readers pushing it into being a full story with their great questions instead of only a oneshot, and the basic groundwork for the au being laid.

28th

**Anonymous** asked:

SO WAit in the evil AU if Hector and Imelda and Coco stayed together and even Imelda was in on murdering Ernesto then why does Elena grow up to hate musicians?

Good question! If you read closely it never actually mentions a music ban, the reason Elena was upset with Miguel is because he wanted to leave home and family behind to go out into the world be famous (not putting his family first), not because he wanted to be a musician.

(It’s a detail that was a little more subtle than I intended, but you’re right, it wouldn’t make sense for the Rivera to hate music in this au.)

28th

**Anonymous** asked:

Even evil Hector is 1000 times nicer than canon ernesto

Right? Hector truly loves his family, and the Riveras do everything they can to help those in need. Sacrificing for others is an important part of who they are.

Unfortunately, this sometimes means sacrificing things they love. In canon this means giving up music, but in this au it means Hector cannot allow his grandson’s actions to threaten the wellbeing of the rest of the family, even if it means an unspeakable sacrifice of something he loves very much… 

28th

[**primrooks**](http://primrooks.tumblr.com/) asked:

I love that evil!Héctor one shot and just how tragically cruel and meaty that characterization is; how he’s as loving as always but how that love’s turned from a protective shield to a venomous knife, as if he’s never put stock in his heart to regret his actions up until now. This version of Héctor and Imelda probably won’t think twice about what happens to Ernesto, but the fact that Miguel had to be caught in the crossfire is something that won’t ever let them go.

Thaaaank you!!!

_“he’s as loving as always but how that love’s turned from a protective shield to a venomous knife”_

You’re exactly right, this is precisely what evil!Hector is all about. He has all the same characteristics as canon Hector, but pushed in a dark direction instead of a good one.

I’ve started typing up an aftermath drabble of when Imelda gets back (I don’t know if I’ll post it, but my soul needed it) and Miguel is indeed a tragic reality for both Hector and Imelda to face.

Mar 28th

[**lacina-and-lucy**](https://lacina-and-lucy.tumblr.com/) asked:

In the swap AU, do you think Ernesto actually cared about Miguel, or was he just using him as a means to be remembered?

Ernesto didn’t care about Miguel in the least, especially after realizing Miguel was Hector’s great-great-grandson, but Ernesto was desperate for anything that could keep him from the second death, even if it meant getting involved with Riveras.

Mar 28

**Anonymous** asked:

Not gonna lie Héctor and Imelda in the evil Hector au gave me some real intense "Macbeth" vibes. I.E. the wife being the ambition but the husband still being the one who actually goes through. Does that make sense? I think I need to reread Macbeth

It makes a ton of sense Anon!

I’m actually taking an intensive university Shakespeare senior course right now, meaning I just read Macbeth, so I know exactly what you’re talking about. Imelda certainly takes a “partner in crime” role, egging Hector on to do the deed, but there a huge difference in that when she persuaded Hector to kill Ernesto, it was for self-defense, not power.

## And since you’ve caught me between class periods, I’ll do you one better than rereading the play, I’ll break it down for you right here.

The reason the MacBeths are plunged into a tragically mad slaughter is because **they operated from a motive of ambition**. MacBeth had the _possibility_ of becoming king planted in his mind by the witches, but it was his wife that urged him to make it a _reality._ This motivation (to forcefully take from others) is completely inexcusable and both of them knew it deep down. It was a badly stifled guilt that ultimately led not only to their marriage falling apart, but to Lady MacBeth’s guilt-ridden suicide.

Because there was no moral grounding for their sins it completely blew up in their faces, resulting in an all-consuming tragedy as they spun out of control, killing everything that they thought might possibly be standing between them and the throne (a delicate judgment they became increasingly bad at making as thier guilty madness took them over).

But evil Imelda and Hector are something quite different, and ultimately much scarier. Evil Imector is not a mad loose cannon of ambition, they are a grounded power couple with **a razor-focused goal: protect the family**. Hector didn’t kill Ernesto because he wanted something, he killed him because he wanted to preserve something, his family.

This of course set him on a morally dark path that tainted the rest of his life and career, but it’s important to note that for the rest of their lives Imelda and Hector operated from a position of _defence,_ meaning that unlike the MacBeths, they could still appreciate and cultivate the good and beautiful in their lives, unlike the MacBeths who bred only ugly and horrible thing in their offensive pursuit of power.

Sure, there were a few sleazy reporters and conniving agents and stalker-fans that mysteriously disappeared during Hector’s star-studded career, but these shady deeds only came about when the Riveras felt like they had no choice. Family always came first. And besides, maintaining their position of fame and wealth _(not getting more through evil deeds, just keeping ahold of what they already had)_ meant that they could help even more people, not just their family.

So really, if a few shady characters got hurt in the process of caring for literally thousands of others, can the Riveras _really_ feel very guilty for that?

They don’t. And their marriage and family only grew stronger over the decades as they worked together in perfect defensive tandem, Imelda’s decisive strength backing and blending with Hector’s protective ingenuity.

This makes them far more formidable than the Macbeths, who crashed and burned within days of their explosive rise to power. The Riveras are playing the long game.

Yes, they sometimes do the wrong things, but always for the right reasons.

Which makes them chillingly understandable.

Mar 28th

[**pencokun**](https://pencokun.tumblr.com/) asked:

Okay, I know that this thought will stay with me for at least a week if I don't ask you this. What about the other dead members of the Rivera family (maybe even Coco as well?)? Are they aware of what Imelda and Héctor had been doing this whole time?

Ernesto’s death is a secret that Hector and Imelda have always kept to themselves, especially after death when they realized they wouldn’t be able to kill Ernesto a second time if he realized the truth and came after their family. It’s only when Ernesto has only hours left that Hector is finally able to confront him with the truth as a final act of betrayed anger he’s carried for decades.

As for the dead Riveras, it’s kind of a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. There’s always been whispers among the family of what might have *actually* have gone down whenever a Rivera enemy mysteriously disappeared over the years, but for the most part they focus their efforts in other family matters. (And not a word is ever breathed outside of the family. No matter what happens, they are first and foremost loyal to the family.)

All the following generations of Riveras have been raised in a wealthy home where they learned by example that family comes first, WHATEVER it takes. The motto has lost most of the deadly edge it had a couple generations ago, meaning that by the time Miguel is born, his family has been living in established wealth long enough to no longer have to worry about outside threats the way Imelda and Hector did.

That said, there’s still a harder edge to the adult living Riveras that twelve year old Miguel never had reason to notice. It hasn’t been needed in years, but push really came to shove, Elena and Enrique and Berto and the rest would all be willing to do whatever it took to protect the family.

[**dogbearinggifts**](http://dogbearinggifts.tumblr.com/post/172354780047)

Someone: Senor Rivera, the paparazzo who has been sending your family death threats has disappeared under mysterious circumstances!

Hector:

[Source: im-fairly-whitty](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172352572809/okay-i-know-that-this-thought-will-stay-with-me) [I choke laughed](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/I-choke-laughed) [perfect](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/perfect)[Hector has no idea what youre talking about](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/Hector-has-no-idea-what-youre-talking-about)[the paparazzi’s family receives one of those flower/fruit baskets in condolence](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/the-paparazzi%E2%80%99s-family-receives-one-of-those-flower%2Ffruit-baskets-in-condolence)[(having the press on your side does wonders for your image)](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/%28having-the-press-on-your-side-does-wonders-for-your-image%29)

Mar 28

**Anonymous** asked:

I'm honestly so in love with that reverse AU oneshot!!! I have one question though: are you going to write something else for the reverse AU? Like a continuation?

Thank you! I’m glad so many people enjoy it so much!

I’m not sure? Honestly the one-shot was just a character exercise for me, I actually wrote it as a warm up just for fun.

That said, I’m open for asks about it for people who want to know more about the world.

Also last night I actually started writing a small drabble about when Imelda gets back to see why Hector isn’t at the Spectacular. I might end up posting it later if I finish it, we get to see evil!Imector in action and it’s lovely.

Mar 28

[**sweetiepie08**](https://sweetiepie08.tumblr.com/) asked:

Not gonna lie, I was kind of on Hector & Imelda's side with the Ernesto thing. Sure, Ernesto claims he changed his mind, but I'm not sure that's all that genuine. From their perspective, Hector's stuck far from home with his friend who has murderous intent. He doesn't know if Ernesto's mad enough to follow him home. He doesn't know if Ernesto's mad enough to hurt his family. All he knows is Ernesto's is capable of murdering his best friend in cold blood. (1/2)

EXACTLY THIS.

Can you imagine the fear of realizing that your very closest friend wants to murder you? Of knowing that all the next day as you try to pretend everything is fine, but now you’re second and triple guessing every single thing said friend does or says to you?

————–

Héctor sticks to letters when it comes to communicating with Imelda, it’s much cheaper, but this time he spends a good chunk of the money he has on him for a long distance phone-call.

It takes ages for the operators to connect his call from Mexico City all the way to Santa Cecilia, over an hour, and he’s sweating bullets as he waits. Ernesto thinks he’s out for a walk, but who knows how long that lie will last.

The call finally gets connected to Santa Cecilia and it’s another half hour before someone is able to find Imelda and tell her she has a call waiting for her on the local depot’s new telephone. 

Imelda is flustered and worried that something terrible has happened. When she hears Héctor’s fuzzy voice across the connection she nearly breaks into tears, but instead reprimands him for wasting so much money on a _phone call_ and demanding to know what’s so terribly wrong that he couldn’t write about it.

Héctor is so happy to hear his wife’s voice, it’s been months, and he spills everything to her as quickly as he can. He’s in danger, he’s trapped, he doesn’t know what to do, he wants so badly to come home to her and Coco but he doesn’t know if it will cause Ernesto to attack him, or even them. He doesn’t know anything about Ernesto anymore.

Imelda is stunned, but feels ill to realize that she somehow isn’t surprised.

She’s never felt comfortable around Ernesto, especially the way he always treats her husband like a possession, but to know that Ernesto is actually planning to kill Héctor, that makes her wish she was in Mexico City herself so that she could knock his head off herself.

Héctor is shaking with fear now, trying so hard not to audibly panic as he holds the receiver to his ear, clinging to Imelda’s voice as she asks clarifying questions, establishing that there’s no easy way to turn Ernesto in to the police, that the first evidence against Ernesto will be Héctor’s death.

And that is unacceptable.

“Use the his own shotglass against him.” Imelda says.

“Diosa, no, I can’t-”

“I need you Héctor, I need you and Coco needs you. Don’t you _dare_ leave this family behind, if this comes down to you or Ernesto I need you to promise me that you are not going to hesitate.”

“Imelda, I can’t,” Héctor’s voice cracks and he covers his eyes with his hand. “I can’t, it’s _Ernesto,_ Imelda.”

“You _can_ and you _will.”_ Imelda says forcefully, her hand gripping the receiver cord. “Hector, mi vida, come home to us, protect this family. Please.”

There’s a long moment of silence.

“The same glass?” Héctor’s voice asks.

“If Ernesto poisoned it then he can drink from it himself.” Imelda says quietly.

“How did it come to this?” Héctor whispers.

“Come home.” Imelda says.

“I…I will.” Héctor says.

“Hurry.”

“I will.”

“Te amo.”

“Reza por mí.”

“Lo haré.”

———-

So apparently this au is going to come together through ask drabbles.

I’m not even mad.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172359805064/not-gonna-lie-i-was-kind-of-on-hector-imeldas)

[@the-skull-guitar](https://tmblr.co/mAm7B_Grzjlc1Ed_iEoOW1Q)

Exactly.

It’s important to recognize that the Hector we see in the first one-shot is a Hector that has spent the last century protecting his family, growing old, and jockeying his way through celebrity life. He has so much more experience than 21 year-old canon Hector and is more subdued (something we see reflected in Dante, his spirit-guide).

He’s learned that sometimes the needs of the one must bow to the needs of the many for the greater good. He’s learned how to do whatever it takes to put his family first.

And yeah, I hear you on the edge level. I’ve spent all semester living and breathing Othello, Hamlet, and MacBeth though, so this whole au is honestly just a fun little rubix cube my brain is playing with, mathematically swapping around character formulas and seeing if I can get them to still stick.

Like, if you want to know what majoring in literature/Shakespeare is like, this is it. Villain!au is literally just me doing extra character theory homework for fun, the original one-shot was a character exploration warm-up exercise that I ended up posting.

[fun fact](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/fun-fact) [Slusheeduck also studied English/Shakespere](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/Slusheeduck-also-studied-English%2FShakespere)[one of the reasons they're also such a fab writer](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/one-of-the-reasons-they%27re-also-such-a-fab-writer)[and why our writing gets along so well in teacher!au](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/and-why-our-writing-gets-along-so-well-in-teacher%21au)

Mar 28th, 18

[**aleja09isthebest**](http://aleja09isthebest.tumblr.com/) asked:

I love that when Hector found out ernesto was going to murder him his first instinct wasnt to run or go to the cops but write to his wife

_Who you gonna call?_

## IMELDA

(Luckily telephones had been invented by then, waiting a month to hear back from Imelda via letter would have been far too late.)

Mar 28th

**Anonymous** asked:

The family that murders together stays together

Mar 29

**Anonymous** asked:

You said Miguel's vision was fading as he was dying, did he pass out when he died?

Yes he did, think of it as a computer restarting.

Miguel’s been fading rather painlessly all evening, but dying is still a traumatic event, and his spirit is going to need time to process it, even if he’s already in the land of the dead. He’s going to be in a sort of new-comer coma for a while as his mind tries struggles to pull itself back together and reboot so it can function in his new skeleton soul-form.

It’s a process that usually happens in the Center for New Arrivals at the Department of Family Reunions, but not this time.

Mar 29th

**Anonymous** asked:

How exactly did evil Imector make other disappear? Do they do it themselves or hire people? Do they continue poison or do they branch out?

They specialize in “karma attacks,” meaning they prefer to use the victim’s vices against them.

For example, Ernesto was poisoned with the shot glass he tainted himself.

There was a crazed fan one time who brandished a weapon at a concert and made a grab for Coco, he escaped but was found dead of a gunshot “suicide” later that night.

There was a too-nosey reporter who was trying to cook up an imaginary scandal to smear Hector’s name and get some headlines, but they were found dead of an overdose of a drug they secretly took on the side.

On the less lethal side there’s plenty of strategic connection-making and friend-maintaining and security-hiring and lawyer-employing that helps them to maneuver the family to safety in much more legal ways. Keeping a charitable public image is a very important part of that, preventing public enemies from being formed. (They really do love helping others, that’s real, but Imelda also doesn’t waste the opportunity to use the publicity and good-will to their fullest advantage. Not villainous, just good business.)

Because they only go after people who attacked them first, they don’t have to do it too often, meaning that when Imelda and Hector do need to take care of a “problem” they take their time to scope out what resources they have available and act with precision.

They prefer to handle things themselves to keep it in the family if they can, but there has been a couple times that they’ve chosen to employ a professional in especially dangerous cases.

Mar 29th

[**dogbearinggifts**](https://dogbearinggifts.tumblr.com/) asked:

So for the villain!au, how did Hector see the shot glass and realize it was poisoned? And how did he get ahold of the shot glass and get Ernesto to drink from it without arousing suspicion? (I like this AU and want more, if you couldn’t tell.)

  


[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172381492959/so-for-the-villainau-how-did-hector-see-the-shot) answered:

Hector found out because he was lying awake in bed after a shouting match with Ernesto. Hector hates fighting and felt awful about it, so when Ernesto came back to the hotel room after “taking a walk” Hector pretended to be asleep so he wouldn’t have to talk to Ernesto again.

But Hector was still silently watching his friend through barely open eyes, especially when he heard Ernesto rummaging through their luggage. He was confused as he watched Ernesto pull out his luggage and actually pull out his songbook (which Ernesto _knew_ was off limits) but then he shook his head and ut it all back.

Which was awfully invasive, but Hector could have let that go, he was used to letting things slide around Ernesto. But then he watched Ernesto go to the small table in the room and pull a bottle out of his coat pocket, having purchased it on his walk apparently. He watched in growing horror as Ernesto carefully dripped some of the contents into the bottom of an empty shot glass, swirling the drops around until they had coated the glass and dried.

Hector could smell the formaldehyde from where he lay pretending to be asleep, and it took every bit of his self-control to lie there instead of jumping up, especially when Ernesto turned and just stared at him for what felt like an hour before carefully tucking the laced shot glass into his own suitcase.

After talking it over with Imelda the next day Hector decided to use the shot glass against Ernesto. He swapped the glass out of Ernesto’s luggage the next night while he was sleeping and casually poured his friend a drink while they were rehearsing the next night.

The whole time Hector was secretly impossibly wishing and hoping that he’d been wrong, that Ernesto had somehow put something that wasn't poison in the glass an that he wouldn’t die after all, that he really hadn’t been trying to kill him and everything could remain normal.

But sure enough, Ernesto took the drink and was soon absolutely dead.

Hector buried the body as best he could between terrified dry-heaving sobs and bought a ticket on the next train home to Santa Cecilia, where Imelda kept him indoors for an entire month while he tried to recover from the awful betrayal.

If anyone asked what happened to Ernesto, the Riveras said that he’d run off.

In a few months Hector was back on the road, this time with his wife and child at his side. Within a few years of hard work and Imelda’s excellent business building skills, Hector and his heartwarming songs were on their way to fame and glory. He was an ever-man star, beloved because of how relatable and real he always felt. His fans often called him “Tio Hector” because of how much they loved him.

And Ernesto lay in a shallow grave somewhere outside the limits of Mexico City. Dead of food poisoning. Dead of suicide. Dead of his own betrayal.

And Anon, I actually have a “[Ernesto poisons himself” au ](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172251162679/that-art-piece-of-ernesto-poisons-himself-au)that you can read more about. :) It’s a little tongue-in-cheek, but it’s got some really interesting things to think about and some great fanart as well.

[**dogbearinggifts**](http://dogbearinggifts.tumblr.com/post/172382834187)

You know, I can see how that ordeal would’ve hardened Hector in a lot of ways. Probably left him with a bubbling sense of paranoia, put him constantly on the defense and made him laser-focused on his safety and that of his family. Yet at the same time, I can also see evidence that he wanted to be better than Ernesto, even as he resorted to murder to keep his family safe. Being warm and gregarious toward his fans, to the point they call him Tio Hector, to me shows a desire to make up for what he had to do, prove that this one act wasn’t all he was.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172383365799/so-for-the-villainau-how-did-hector-see-the-shot)

Absolutely.

Hector gets grey streaks in his hair at the tender age of twenty-two, but that’s the least of the ways he’s affected. He always feels the need to go above and beyond when it comes to helping and caring for others, to the point of wearing himself out for his friends and family and fans. Imelda has to be his self control in that regard, reeling him in when he he gets into a manic state of not thinking about himself, trying subconsciously to _prove_ that he deserves the love everyone shows him.

In fact, Imelda becomes his rock of sanity. She originally hadn’t wanted him to go on that final doomed tour with Ernesto because she’d had a bad feeling about it, but Hector had overruled her. Afterwards though, he run every decision by her, wanting her approval before he does anything. From then on they make all their decisions together, the choice to go back on the road, the choice to travel as a family.

It’s a long time before Hector is emotionally stable enough to feel alright making choices on his own, and only because Imelda insists he needs to be able to stand on his own two feet in his day-to-day life, but by then he and Imelda are so in-tune that they can tell what the other would say and act accordingly as a team even when they are apart.

And of course Imelda’s other job for a long, long time is gently waking up Hector when the nightmares get too bad, holding him close until his breathing is steady again.

Mar 29th

[**aleja09isthebest**](http://aleja09isthebest.tumblr.com/) asked:

Three question: how did they keep the reporter quiet in the land of the dead, who covered up their real deaths (my bet is on Coco), and how did the fire start cause i doubt they would have started the fire while they were still inside

  1. The lawyer also thought the fire was an accident (the Riveras always make it look like an accident)
  2. There wasn’t any need for a cover-up, they died far enough away from the fire that the connection was never made, especially since there was no family chauffeur to testify about their traveling habits. (Coco’s parents never involved her on their more shady business anyway.)
  3. Curtains take enough time to burn for them to be safely out and away with plenty of time to spare



Mar 29th

**Anonymous** asked:

Does evil Hector die by bell too?

Hector and Imelda both ended up dying in the same car accident.

They had the curious habit of never hiring a chauffeur, no matter how wealthy they became, meaning that they were alone in their automobile when they were caught in a fiery wreck that tragically claimed both of their lives. Hector was Fifty-one, Imelda was Fifty-two. (Grandparents several times over by then.)

The grief-stricken media reported that the beloved Rivera power-couple had been en-route to the grand opening of the newly built “Rivera wing” of a local hospital that the family had generously funded.

Which was mostly true.

No one would ever connect that while the Riveras were _going_ to the hospital, they had been _coming_ from a part of town that suffered a terrible house-fire at practically the same time as the accident, reducing a three-story building to nothing but ash.

The official cause of the fire: a clumsily put-out cigar accidentally lighting a set of curtains on fire.

Three deaths reported in the fire. One of them being a certain chain-smoking lawyer that may or may not have recently made uncomfortable connections between seemingly unrelated disappearances. Disappearances and deaths mostly of unsavory characters, but the real curiosity was that all the cases seemed to hang uncomfortably close to a certain celebrity’s family.

All of his notes on the cases were eaten up in the deadly fire.

Shame really.

Mar 29th

**Anonymous** asked:

So you wrote how Hector is affected, what about imelda?

While canon Imelda was heavily shaped by the experience of being abandoned/widowed young and having to survive out of sheer spite, villain!Imelda has had a _much_ different experience.

Imelda is still as stubborn as ever, she still makes plans and she executes them, she still has a head for numbers and maneuvering her way to success, but this time she doesn’t have to do it alone.

Her husband is perhaps the most devoted and loving man to ever walk the earth, and she loves him with all her heart. They are extremely protective of each other and deeply intertwined emotionally. Being his partner in cri-, I mean, his partner in business as well home life has made them two halves of a well-oiled machine.

Her stubborn persistence has become an art as she grows to become an expert in handling the finances, the public image, and the scheduling of Hector’s career while he handles the interpersonal connections, the schmoozing and of course performing side.

Imelda is a hard worker, and she THOROUGHLY enjoys the rewards of her efforts. She always loved wearing lipstick and her purple neck broach even around the house when she and Hector were young (the two small treats she could afford) but when Hector’s career starts bringing in the cash she treats herself.

Tasteful high-end makeup. Crisp designer gowns with jeweled accents and flowing lines that show off her curves _just_ enough to distract Hector at public events. Her hair is sometimes worn up, but more often she wears it down and impeccably styled.

She’s that woman who dresses well enough for the catwalk, but is really dressing for her husband.

And Hector looooves her for it.

Mar 29th

**Anonymous** asked:

If I may be so bold to ask How does Miguel end up in the land of the dead in the evil!au? If Hector was never ripped from the family tree and music not banned..? Or has it been banned? Sorry if you answered this already I just love this idea xD

You may indeed be so bold. :)

So in this AU there is no music ban, but there is a very strict family culture of always putting family first. Elena gets upset at Miguel not because he wants to be a musician, but because he wants to leave his family to do it.

He runs off in tears after Elena chews him out, yelling that he doesn’t even want to be part of the family anymore, that he’s going to travel the world without them anyway.

He runs to the Rivera family memorial/crypt where he usually goes to be alone, but when he doesn’t come back his family becomes worried that he may have actually run away from home.

A fear that becomes much more real as the hours tick by without finding him, a fear that becomes all-consuming when days pass.

A fear that becomes accepted as tragic fact as years go by without Miguel ever returning.

Mar 29th

[**aleja09isthebest**](http://aleja09isthebest.tumblr.com/) asked:

Oh the 3 deaths reported made me think 2 of them were Hector and imelda, and that something went wrong and they died in their murder

Haha, nope, there just happened to be two innocent victims that accidentally got caught in the house fire.

Don’t worry about it.

Mar 29th

[**odd-cinderella**](http://odd-cinderella.tumblr.com/) asked:

Can I just say that Villain!AU Imector just seethes of a Slytherpuff relationship?

Mar 30th

[**gayinapastlife**](https://gayinapastlife.tumblr.com/) asked:

Would you say that Héctor doesn’t start the Sunrise Concert until after sunrise? In order to give people the most time possible with their families?

Good eye, the Rivera Sunrise Spectacular does indeed happen later than Ernesto’s. While Ernesto never cared to visit the land of the living, the Riveras put a huge priority on family time, meaning the program is bumped back.

This why villain!Hector was able to be with Miguel at the family mansion when the sun was practically already rising, where in canon Miguel still had a few hours left to go during the poolside confrontation scene.

Mar 30th

**Anonymous** asked:

Sooo what would you say Hector and Imelda’s kill count ranges from? How much are we talking about?

Total body count tallies somewhere under ten total, they aren’t serial killers after all, just people who will do whatever it takes to protect their family.

That said, there’s also been a few careers trashed over the years, not to mention mental breakdowns. Killing isn’t the only way to deal with a problem.

Mar 30th

**Anonymous** asked:

Did Hector and Imelda actually die in a car accident, or did it have something to do with how the, uh, lawyer "accidentally" died and the police just ruled it as a car accident?

No, they actually did die in a car accident.

Was is chance? Was it bell-like karma?

You decide.

Mar 30th

[**stringsofoursouls**](https://stringsofoursouls.tumblr.com/) asked:

You said there were two innocent victims in the fire -- do Hector and Imelda know that? Did they feel guilty that two innocent people who weren't involved in the threats died? Did they try to make it up to them in the afterlife?

They were kinda busy that night, what with the whole dying thing.

It wasn’t until a few months later, when they were comfortably situated in the family mansion, that they went back and quietly started tracking down everyone they had killed in life, just to make sure they weren’t going to be a problem on this side of death as well.

They were very sorry to hear that there were two innocents killed, but there was nothing they could do. They always tried to be careful to keep damage to a minimum, but sometimes mistakes happen.

Mar 30th

**Anonymous** asked:

What year does Hector and Imelda dies in Villain au?

Hector was 51 when he died, so since he was born in 1900 that means they died in 1951.

Mar 30th

**Anonymous** asked:

HÉCTORS LOOKIN DAMN GOOD FOR 51

Hugh Jackman is 49

Robert Downey Jr. is 52

Tom Cruise is 55

Brad Pitt is 54

Will Smith is 49

51 ain’t nothing for a celebrity, he’s in the prime of his career, with an established fan base and a consistent camera-ready skin care routine.

Plus let’s be real, Hector Rivera always looks good.

Mar 30th

[**dogbearinggifts**](http://dogbearinggifts.tumblr.com/post/172422724797)

Ernesto: Yeah, I’m gonna poison your husband and steal his stuff.

Imelda:

[@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw)

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172422851849/ernesto-yeah-im-gonna-poison-your-husband-and)

Villain!Imelda don’t play, son.

Mar 30th

**Anonymous** asked:

I am ashamed of how relieved I am that villain!Hector isn’t sleeping on the couch after Imelda found out he killed Miguel. Did he and Imelda have more kids besides Coco in this AU?

He’s lucky their marriage is so incredibly strong, it would take quite a bit to get between them after all the trust they’ve built up over the last century.

And yes! They ended up having five children together:

\- **Coco** , who we all know and love.

\- Twins: a girl named **Leti** and a boy named **Mateo**.

\- **Héctor Jr**., who grows up to be a businessman just like his mother (and one day has a great-grandson named Marco, not that it matters)

\- **Rodrigo** , who grows up to become a world-famous conductor 

Mar 31st

[**mayordomogoliat**](http://mayordomogoliat.tumblr.com/) asked:

It's amazing how small a difference can create two such distinct AUs: Ernesto Poison Himself AU which is tongue in cheek with a touch of weekend at Bernie's and Villain!AU which is full on mafia-like family protection while still being loving. It's such a similar start with such drastic different ends, I love it. I wonder if any coverups ever got a bit too messy (as in blood stains and hatchet messy due to person not having any exploitable vices and being too lucky.)

It’s so so true, isn’t it? Both begin with Ernesto’s death, but the key is how Héctor and Imelda used thier agency. It really goes to show that it’s not the circumstance that changes someone, it’s how they _choose_ to react to those circumstances that shapes who they are.

Speaking of choices, there is one time when things got…messy.

While Héctor is extremely creative, Imelda is the one that reigns in his more imaginative plans and ideas to make them more realistic (ie, so they will actually work). She is the one that always makes sure things get executed cleanly, and covered up flawlessly. She’s the major veto in Héctor’s life that keeps him emotionally stable and socially put together. She’s the one that’s always insisted that the time or two when taking care of an enemy would be too dangerous that they hire a professional to do the job.

But one time Héctor didn’t ask her first and it nearly brought everything crashing down in one night.

They’d just finished attending a premiere screening for one of Héctor’s latest films and were taking an evening walk the long way back to where their automobile was parked, enjoying the warm night air together while they talked about nothing in particular.

But this was also the night that a particularly dangerous fan, someone that had been stalking Imelda for months with increasingly unsettling letters, was following them without them knowing it.

The stalker confronted them, said some very obscene things and grabbed at Imelda. There were some lingering Rivera fans nearby that came to the rescue and the stalker was driven away, but Hector was deadly pale as he comforted Imelda, thanked the worried crowd of helpers, drove Imelda home, held her until she’d fallen asleep, and then silently left the house alone around midnight, dodging the hired help, locking the door to the garages behind him, and driving off in their least identifiable automobile with certain tools in the passenger’s seat.

It was Imelda’s turn to be worried when Hector stumbled into their bedroom at four in the morning with a black eye, scratched and bruised arms, and his clothing and hands covered in blood that wasn’t his.

He was shaking so badly that all Imelda could do was steer him into the shower fully clothed and turn the water on full blast, leaving him there while she snuck out to mop up anything he’d tracked through the house before the help arrived in an hour. The car was a total loss and would have needed complete re-upholstering, so Imelda made some quick calls to have it towed off.

Everything was cleared up and the bedroom door locked _just_ before the morning help arrived, but it was an extremely close call.

She tried to reprimand him, but once he was changed into fresh clothes and dried his hair he wouldn’t hear a word of it, shaking his head as she tried to treat his deeper cuts, insisting that there was no way he could _not_ have done it, that he would do anything to protect her.

And even if it was the most terrifyingly reckless thing her husband had ever done for her, it was also one of the bravest, and she ended up just making him promise to _never_ try and pull something like that on his own ever again.

They both stayed inside for a week, giving Héctor time to heal while telling the media it was for Imelda’s sake.

When the badly hidden and rather unsightly body of the stalker was found a week later, the media decided that another rabid Rivera fan must have taken the role of revenging angel upon themselves after hearing of the assault on “Tio Hector’s” wife.

After that public respect towards Imelda Rivera increased visibly at public events, everyone keeping and enforcing a very firm respectful distance for the Rivera couple wherever they went, being very quick to shut down anything disrespectful or slanderous aimed at them.

[villain!au](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/villain%21au) [Hector](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/hector) [imelda](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/imelda) [choices](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/choices) [stalker](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/stalker)[don't get to close to the people Hector is closest to](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/don%27t-get-to-close-to-the-people-Hector-is-closest-to) [he loses control](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/he-loses-control)

Mar 31st

[**acutelatios**](https://acutelatios.tumblr.com/) asked:

What happens to Miguel after he wakes up from dying? Jeez, the fic made me feel very not nice things and I reallt want to know how my boy's gonna cope with this ;;;

OKAY SO OBVIOUSLY YALL WANT TO KNOW IF MIGUEL’S OKAY…

HE’S NOT.

HE’S REALLY NOT.

Hector keeps his promise of never leaving Miguel, which means that he is there for every second of Miguel’s recovery. It’s extremely disorienting for Miguel to experience such constant, genuinely warm, but arguably overbearing care from the man that his memory tells him was the cause of his death.

Because Miguel is in such a fragile emotional state while recovering, this confusion combined with overwhelming grief hits him much deeper than it might have otherwise, causing parts of him to shut down at the deep-seated confusion that now rules his (after)life.

In order to cope at all with his situation, Miguel’s 12-year-old mind reacts badly and latches on to whatever is immediately present instead of trying to tangle through the impossible net of moral ambiguity and confusion that surrounds him. Unfortunately, the most immediately present thing in his (after)life is Papa Héctor.

Miguel becomes a silent and withdrawn shell of his former self, missing many developmental milestones he should have hit while recovering from death, in a sense regressing several years mentally and emotionally. He would have benefitted greatly from therapy, but Héctor was too blinded by guilt/grief-driven protective possessiveness to allow that to happen like Imelda knew it probably should. He is overly motivated to make Miguel’s afterlife as stress-free as possible, to the point of being damaging.

Miguel is not catatonic, he is able to hold conversations (even if he isn’t much of a talker anymore) and is able to carry out assigned tasks, but he often needs Héctor’s prompting to engage in activities. He sticks right by Héctor’s side and had extreme separation anxiety if they are apart for too long. Miguel also suffers from panic attacks and is easily overwhelmed in social situations, unless he is with Héctor.

Miguel still manages to charm everyone he meets, but now it’s because he’s Héctor’s adorably well-dressed and shy shadow, even clinging to Héctor’s jacket or hand when he’s overwhelmed. Most people assume he is much younger than he actually is because of it, but enjoy seeing him at every appearance Hector makes. They become quite an iconic pair, one never being seen without the other, and it warms everyone’s heart to see Héctor being such a good great-great-grandfather.

Miguel warms up a little when Héctor can convince him to play music with him, but Miguel doesn’t always feel up to it, meaning those times are often rare and afterwards he becomes distant and numb again.

Miguel knows that Héctor was the cause of his death, he doesn’t have amnesia, but it’s not long at all before he abstractly accepts that he did indeed need to die in order to protect his family. He is so tragically out of his depth in this situation that he desperately clings to the father figure he has been presented with in an effort to cope at all.

After a few years he even calls Héctor “Papá,” instead of “Papá Héctor.”

Mar 31st 

**Anonymous** asked:

Regarding the villian!au, does Miguel get his picture put up on his family's ofrenda? Or did they just assume he ran off and not died in the process?

Miguel’s family held onto the strained hope that Miguel would be found alive for several years. Miguel had a year-round memorial set up for him in the home that had his picture on it, but it was several years before his parents finally worked up the courage to face the grief of moving his picture from the memorial to the family ofrenda.

This meant that Miguel was unable to cross the flower bridge the first few years after his death, a situation that led to a phenomenal amount of bureaucratic fury on Héctor and Imelda’s part to argue and even try to bribe the authorities to allow their grandson over the bridge, but there was nothing anyone could do.

Obviously this did not help Miguel at all in his post-death development. He dreaded every November when he knew he would be left behind with Tio Oscar y Felipe while everyone else went to visit the land of the living without him. He loves his Tios and the rest of the family, but being apart from Héctor brings panic attacks and it scares him.

By the time the Riveras were informed that Miguel could now cross to visit his living family Miguel was too far gone to care. He goes every year, but only because Héctor does. He clings closely to Héctor the whole visit and refuses to interact with anyone else while they are there, he says nothing and makes eye contact with no one.

Héctor often has to carry him back home across the bridge when they’re done since Miguel is exhausted by the experience. 

Mar 31st 

**Anonymous** asked:

Okay... ow... that whole post about Miguel gave me a really uncomf feelin in my chest (kudos! That means it was good lol) but I just cannot comprehend Imelda letting that happen to Miguel. If he's not hitting those milestones she'd put her foot down. His mental health is more important than Héctor's guilt... at least I'd hope so...

Imelda does do her best to help Miguel, later on there are therapists involved that do help Miguel from collapsing even farther, (especially with physical therapy) but quite frankly the fact remains that there’s only so much that they can really do to help Miguel after killing him, keeping him under incredibly strict social conditions, and feeding him Brainwash Lite™.

If they were willing to tell a therapist _everything_ and let someone else try to rehabilitate Miguel, things would doubtlessly turn out much better, but Imelda knows that there’s already far too many existing conditions that are forcing them into a less than ideal situation in caring for Miguel.

At the end of the day, Héctor and Imelda have already done an incredible amount of damage to their grandson, and as long as Miguel is with them in that situation he is likely to remain stagnant in his progression and recovery.

Mar 31st

**Anonymous** asked:

Will Miguel ever truly recover?

Mar 31st

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

I cannot even BEGIN to imagine the fallout that comes from Elena, Coco, Enrique, Luisa, etc. dying, coming back, and finding Miguel there. I mean, obviously the truth probably isn't gonna come out, but at the same time, Miguel KNOWS what happened and has just been brainwashed into just accepting that it was necessary so I gotta wonder if it WOULD come out and if so, what would happen. I mean... family protects family... and family just killed family. And then brainwashed family. And lied to fam.

:)

Mar 31st

**Anonymous** asked:

The villain AU physically give me pain. Not even overdramatizing this my chest hurts, I love it

Mar 31st

**Anonymous** asked:

Please, P L E A S E Give the villain an happy ending I’m very fragile and cannot take a bad ending. P L E A S E

Mar 31st

**Anonymous** asked:

No no noooooooooooooo! (╥﹏╥)I want Miguel to despise Hector!! I want him to always shy away from Hector at least! Aaaaaaarrrrrrgggggggggggggg! Don't stop ಥ_ಥ

Mar 31st

**Anonymous** asked:

That... That smile was worrying. Is there something we need to prepare ourselves for in the future? If so, SIGN ME UP IM READY TO CRY

:)

Mar 31st

[**odd-cinderella**](http://odd-cinderella.tumblr.com/) asked:

Do you have a main song when you write Villain!AU? Or any song recommendations for your AU?

Yessssssss I dooooooo. :D

[”Worst in Me” by Unlike Pluto](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8euSENdlgzY%26list%3DRD8euSENdlgzY&t=NDQ3OGNiYTI4NTIzNmRjZTM2ZGY0ODdmNTJkMDFjZTNmZGZmNzliYSxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172468267149%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”Blood//Water” by Grandson](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSk-U8ruIQyA&t=NjU1NzgyNzEyMjA3NzcyNzU5YjY2MTA1ZGQ3NDc0MmRmMTljYzRkZCxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172468267149%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”Burn the House Down” by AJR](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DozbnTScWups&t=ZjQ2MTUyYTk4MmQxNjRkMzg4NDIyOGFmMGM0YTllZmIyMjA0ZTk0MSxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172468267149%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”Bury Me Facedown” by Grandson](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DDLbqnmvLPKE&t=MGY5MThmMjcxMzMzZmI3YzYwMjE3ZWJjNWQyYjk5NzM3YWZhMGI2MixCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172468267149%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”GRRRLS” by AViVA](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DShk7qcvqDOo&t=MTQxMWQyMWRhNTkyZTkzZjUxMTZhY2EyMGViZmE3YmZkNGM0MjNmNSxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172468267149%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”Thought and Prayers” by Grandson](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D4DQ-2tDzJxw&t=MzhhYTk3NzdmN2EyZTg5Mjk1OGNiNWViZWIxYjAxYmJiZmJmZTNiMCxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172468267149%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

Thanks for asking!


	3. April 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All tumblr posts and asks published during April 2018 in chronological order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In April the au is officially up and running for real, the audience hype revs to full energy.

2nd

**Anonymous** asked:

Hi wit! I really like your villain!au! I love reading about Hector and Miguel, however, I can’t stop think about what happened to Ernesto. I think it’s interesting that his one goal was to be remembered, only to die alone with a possibly violent cat.

It’s interesting to note that in canon Pepita was operating on her own, no one told her to go after Ernesto, but she tracks him down and completely slaughters him anyway.

It’s a scene that gives me chills, seeing such a powerful animal snag someone and so flippantly toss him up in the air, throwing him around like a ragdoll hundreds of feet in the air before finally flinging him away like a dead mouse. It’s something that low-key terrifies me, but something that I don’t ever see anyone else talking about, probably because it’s easy to get caught up in wanting the villain to get what’s coming to him.

But honestly, Pepita is the most terrifyingly powerful character in this movie, and seeing her used for evil in villain!au highlights that low-key primal fear I feel when I watch her on screen in that scene.

In both universes Ernesto wanted to be remembered, but in villain!au he never got his chance, even though he would have taken it if Hector hadn’t beaten him to it. But all that aside, the fact that Ernesto is the underdog suddenly makes his fate that much more chilling, even though it’s essentially the same.

Oh, and when Héctor told Miguel that “[Pepita]’s taking [Ernesto] somewhere safe”?

Well, that…that was a lie.

He apologizes for that.

2nd

**Anonymous** asked:

I think Skeleton!Miguel can be good Bad End Friends material!

NO KIDDING.

Although his situation is interesting in that his death was rather more of a beginning than an end…

2nd

[**bluemist17**](https://bluemist17.tumblr.com/) asked:

Hey! Love your Whatever it takes AU, especially since Hector’s personality is so complicated in this one! Anyways I was wondering where Coco is in this version. Is she dead or just the same age she was in the film?

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172533273564/hey-love-your-whatever-it-takes-au-especially) answered:

Coco’s life is very very different in villain!AU.

In canon, Coco is the single child of an abandoned mother, and growing up she is subject to a very controlling parenting style since Imelda is extremely invested in making her only child grows up the way she thinks is best.

In life she was kept under close watch with a lot of expectation put on her, and in the afterlife she still has an extremely close parent-child relationship with Hector and Imelda, especially since she is all that Hector has been thinking of for decades, meaning that her Papa is hugely invested in making up for lost time. In canon we see this relationship potentially being equal to that of her relationship with Julio.

That is not how things are in villain!au.

She is still close to her parents, but she also grew up having her parent’s attention split between her four other siblings as well, meaning that her attachment to Hector and Imelda is far more relaxed.

In this timeline Coco did not grow up as a closely watched only child, but as the oldest of five children. She had a lot more freedom to do what she liked growing up as well as added responsibility in helping to care for her siblings while her parents worked to maintain Hector’s career.

Coco is the only child that ever really _knew_ what was going on with her parents, not that Hector and Imelda ever sat her down and told her, but it was a sort of slow-burn realization that dawned on her over the years.

There was a specific night when she was fifteen that she sat up in bed one night, eyes wide, her mind having suddenly put together the pieces with sharp clarity. All the hints and clues and signs she’d seen but not comprehended throughout her childhood, suddenly making perfect sense when she finally took the time to put it together. Well, it sure explained a lot about her parents, and her fifteen year-old self decided that it made a lot of sense that her parents would be so protective, what with them being celebrities and all. She went back to sleep.

Hector and Imelda suspected that Coco knew, and they gradually became slightly less guarded around her, knowing that as the oldest she was the most understanding and trustworthy of their children. By the time her siblings are old enough to have picked up clues, Hector and Imelda have become much more practiced at covering up their less legal activities, meaning her siblings grew up only subtly wondering and whispering among themselves about their suspicions, but never actually _knowing_ like she does.

In life Coco became a successful professional dancer when she was older, using her father’s fame and connections to springboard her to a professional career that brought her a lot of happiness, giving her performance opportunities that may not have been open to her otherwise.

Coco dies several years later in villain!au than she does in canon, meaning that when she arrives in the land of the dead her Papa and Miguel are already inseparable. She’s sad to hear that Miguel stayed too long during his cursed trip and died so young, but she also trusts that her parents would do whatever was best for the family and doesn’t push any farther, even if she suspects it may not be the whole story, as much as it pains her to think so. 

In the Land of the Dead, Coco lives in the Rivera mansion with Julio and many of the other Riveras, but is far more focused on her husband and her own descendants than whatever her parents are up to.

Since her parents are so busy with Hector’s career, and now with caring for Miguel, Coco is the one that pulls together her siblings and extended family for gatherings and events.Two of her siblings are dead: Leti and Rodrigo. Leti passed away from cancer when she was in her teens and lives in the Rivera mansion, but Rodrigo is much more complicated.

Rodrigo, the youngest child, is the black sheep of the family. He has a very rough relationship with his parents, especially Hector, and only comes to visit with absolutely required. He was a rebellious party animal in life, not even fatally driving his own expensive car through a bridge railing while drunk at age thirty changed that. He lives loud and proud on the other side of town from his parents, as far away as he can get from them. Coco is the only family member he’s on very good terms with, and the only reason he comes to _any_ family gatherings, such as when a new family member arrives in the Land of the Dead.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172539588494/hey-love-your-whatever-it-takes-au-especially)

[@frankenbolt](https://tmblr.co/m8QuUyXORh3ZNBxJMT5iVPA)

[@frankenbolt](https://tmblr.co/m8QuUyXORh3ZNBxJMT5iVPA)

You bet he does.

2nd

**Anonymous** asked:

I cant imagine any Hector having a bad relationship with his children. What happened with rodrigo?

More like what _didn’t_ happen with Rodrigo.

2nd

**Anonymous** asked:

I already think Rodrigo's a huge ass (I feel like we all personally know someone in real life like Rodrigo). I think he could either make things worse and raise tensions, or he'll unintentionally end up becoming a spanner in the works. Either he'll get what's coming to him, or get so shaken up he turns a new leaf. Either way I look forward to what happens. >:)

Rodrigo’s a decent enough guy, it’s not _his_ fault his family doesn’t know how to have a good time.

And they really don’t have to _always_ be hounding him about it.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172545052609/i-already-think-rodrigos-a-huge-ass-i-feel-like)

[ ](https://tmblr.co/m6RoCOMrf9aNc6jybGk6vRQ)

[@slusheeduck](https://tmblr.co/m6RoCOMrf9aNc6jybGk6vRQ)

All very true. _Some people_ just don’t have a sense of humor apparently.

2nd

**Anonymous** asked:

I'm getting the vibe that Rodrigo would be the type of guy that would make his parents have to set up a special bank account just to clean up his messes

There’s several very good reasons that he and Héctor don’t get along.

This may or may not be one of them.

3rd

**Anonymous** asked:

Is Rodrigo actually Rodrigo from MITJ? I’ve got to that chapter yet but I want to know

Definitely not. While MITJ Rodrigo is an actual stick of sugar cane whose mindboggling sweetness is as unpredictable as it is charming, Rodrigo Rivera proudly lives up to his title as the no-good black sheep of the Imector brood.

Perhaps in another timeline his eccentricities would have been accepted and flourished wholesomely to the likes of MITJ, but villain!au has not been so kind to him as that.

He’s not a fruity cocktail like MITJ Rodrigo, he’s a shot of salted tequila knocked back in one swallow.

_(He’ll be making his first appearance in the next chapter of “Whatever it Takes,” which I’m still working on, so don’t worry, you haven’t missed anything yet.)_

5th

[**aleja09isthebest**](http://aleja09isthebest.tumblr.com/) asked:

can you describe what the other Imector children are like? (maybe not the twins, since they're not your OCs)

**Coco:** The loving but stern “mom sibling” that makes sure everyone is nice to each other (and that if they can’t be nice, that Rodrigo leaves the room to cool off.) She is very close to her parents and is the only one that has definite knowledge of their darker activities, she is the one that keeps the family running smoothly in the Rivera mansion, which is packed with several generations of her siblings, children, nieces and nephews. Coco would do whatever it takes to keep the family safe, but rarely has to, letting her be the softer side of the family direction.

**Leti:** Died when she was seventeen, a very rough few years for the family and a particularly hard blow for Hector, who couldn’t do anything to protect his little girl while she went through the terrible radiation treatments for several long years before finally passing away.

Often considered the angel of the family, she is her Papa’s girl on both sides of the veil, but has her own social circles well established by the time her parents cross over. She lives with her parents in the Rivera mansion and loves getting together with her parents, even if she’s usually spending more time with her friends and performing as a singer. She gets along with all her siblings, even Rodrigo, since she died before any of his drama. 

**Mateo:** The legacy keeper of the family. When his parents died he was the one that ran the Rivera Legacy Foundation until he eventually died of old age. The family matters very much to him and he’s done everything he can to make sure Hector and Imelda’s descendants maintain a strong sense of family and belonging.

Having his twin sister pass away so young was extremely hard on him, but he’s better for the experience, having developed an appreciation for how fleeting and precious life really is. He has his stern moments but is mostly a peacemaker, he lets Coco handle the broader family matters, and is focused on enjoying his own descendants. He plays music, but only as a hobby, never professionally.

**Hector II:** He is the businessman of the family and the least musical of the Riveras. He got all of his Mama’s sharp business sense and has a head for numbers, in life he was the CEO of a very successful footwear company after having the foresight to team up with and capitalize on his uncles Oscar and Felipe’s innovations in the market. He’s the most confrontational of the Rivera children and has a need to win every conversation.

While his other siblings and his parents get it and roll their eyes as they tolerate his blunt personality, (he’s really not a bad guy, you just have to roll with it) he and Rodrigo have gotten into plenty of fights, even escalating to violence in the past. Hector isn’t much like his father at all, but that doesn’t mean that he thinks it’s alright for his younger brother to disrespect their parents so flippantly and has unsuccessfully tried to hold him responsible for his actions. At this point he and Rodrigo are expressly forbidden from interacting at family gatherings, which suits them just fine, neither of them would _want_ to interact with the other anyway.

**Rodrigo:** Look, life just treats you like crap sometimes, and sometimes the best way to get over it is to get away from it. He does love his sisters, Coco’s always tried to stick up for him when he’s not being an idiot. And of course he can’t hold anything against Leti, she’s a real sweetheart and he doesn’t mind hanging out with her (even if her long sickness and then early death meant he was completely ignored as a kid).

His brothers though are always judging him, Matty’s not _too_ bad usually (even though Rodrigo can always tell he’s judging him) but Teto Jr’s an absolute tonto, even if everyone else tries to say he’s not so bad. Junior’s a stiff idiot that wouldn’t know a good time if it slapped him across the face (which Rodrigo has a few times, but Junior definitely started it.)

And his parents…well…

Rodrigo knows his mama probably loves him, in her own disappointed way. He’s not sure about his Papa though, there’s only so many times you can be told you’re a disappointment to your face before you start to wonder. Doesn’t matter anyway though, he’s his own man and doesn’t care about whether they approve of him or not. Rodrigo was a composing prodigy in his short life and continues to be a radiant star in death, he’s at every party that’s worth a drink and has way more real friends than his Papa’s ever had.

Rodrigo died at 26, just a few months before his parents did. Meeting up with them after death was…not a pleasant experience…and Rodrigo keeps his distance from them (mostly his father) by living it up in any of his several flats across town and only coming to family gatherings when Coco and Leti twist his arm.

6th

**Anonymous** asked:

If Rodrigo died aged 26, then what was the year of his death?

Rodrigo Rivera died June 25th, 1951 at 3:47am in New York, New York.

Cause of death: initial blunt force trauma due to vehicular impact while driving under the influence, followed by drowning.

Unsurprisingly, he had plenty of other friends who died young and was at his first party in the land of the dead within twenty-four hours of his death.

6th

[**yourimaginarycupcake**](https://yourimaginarycupcake.tumblr.com/) asked:

Just out of curiousity here; would Ernesto's markings still be the same in the villain!au? :)

Now that is a fantastic question! Since Ernesto’s canon markings are raised, gleaming silver, and perfectly music shaped, I am of the opinion that they are cosmetically altered and enhanced to match his celebrity status.

Villain!au Ernesto has to make do with his original face markings: the same forehead and eye patterns, but the marks on his cheeks and chin are instead much simpler and generic looking swirls rather than his cosmetic surgery musical symbol marks. His original markings are navy blue and golden rod yellow.

In that same vein though, villain Imector have had their own markings cosmetically enhanced to match their celebrity status. Their yellow face markings are accented with gold leaf, and the dot marks under Imelda’s eyes are set with tasteful amethyst jewels that you don’t notice until you’re up close, or until they’re lit by a paparazzi camera flash.

6th

[**agent-numbuh-227**](https://agent-numbuh-227.tumblr.com/) asked:

How did Villain!Imector get their pets/alebrijes in this AU?

Pepita was an expensive Savannah cat that a visiting celebrity friend from Africa gifted Imelda in life. She and Imelda were very close, even if Pepita’s exotic breeding meant she could sometimes be aggressive and unpredictable.

Dante was a trained xolo dog that was used in one of the films Hector performed in. Hector and Dante got along so well behind the scenes that Hector bought Dante from his handler after the film was finished to keep as a pet. Dante was well behaved enough to bring to events and had a good sense of if people around them were trustworthy or not, giving Hector a head start on detecting potential threats.

9th

[**birdantlers**](http://birdantlers.tumblr.com/) asked:

K bye enrique it was nice knowing you

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Three things about the new chapter of the VillainAU, 1. Hector is a liar, I don't know how yet but like he's a lying liar pants, 2. Rodrigo is the best, drunk tio is too woke for your bullshit Hector and 3. Your writing as always is brilliant! I love you.

Enrique: Something is terribly wrong.

Rodrigo:

And thank you!! <3

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Headcanons for villain au funeral of Hector and Imelda? Tv channels must have been covering this topic for weeks.

It was an interesting situation because the Rivera family was already technically in mourning for Rodrigo, who’d had his fatal car wreck only a few months earlier.

The tragic news that Tio Hector and his wife Imelda had both _also_ passed away in an automobile wreck certainly only added to the international grief at the passing of Mexico’s musical darlings, Rodrigo having already gained international acclaim for the three stunning concertos he composed before his untimely death.

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

If Rodrigo were to ever find out what happened to Miguel, would he start to doubt if his own death was an accident? Because as far as “killing your own descendants to protect the family name” goes, it might make more sense to take out the “problem child” than it would to take out a 12-year-old cinnamon roll. After all, they can’t really prove they DIDNT sabotage his car’s breaks, now can they...

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Okay sooo I love a lot the Villain!AU. It's an amazing, wicked, and extremely interesting idea! But I have a question (not sure if you answered this in another post already): Didn't ANY of the people that Imelda and Hector killed ever told anything in the afterlife? I'm sure if all the victims talked someone would have suspected something, right??

Part of the Rivera’s killing style was that even the victims thought their death was an accident. This was so that if something went wrong and the victim somehow survived they wouldn’t put the Rivera family in danger. This was an unexpected blessing once they reached the afterlife, even though they made sure to quietly track down everyone they had killed just to make _sure_ they wouldn’t be a threat and to keep tabs on them.

The only victim that ever knew who killed them was the man who had assaulted Imelda, the man Hector had gone after himself and physically struggled with before murdering him. The victim/assaulter was the kind of person that no one really felt comfortable around and already had few friends that would listen to his crazy, drunk tales of how he’d been murdered by a celebrity.

He was paid a visit one night in his seedy shack on the outskirts of town within a couple weeks of Hector and Imelda’s arrival in the land of the dead.

No one ever found out about the visit or what happened during it, but he never was heard telling his crazy stories about his death ever again.

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Hmm wonder how's Luisa doing :" also I love this AU so much! It gets more interesting every time you upload a new chapter quq this is by far my favorite au in coco history (lmao)❤

It’s a very sad time for Luisa and she misses Enrique terribly. Soccorro immediately flies back to Mexico from her tour to help her mother with the funeral and stays home for a long while.

And thank you so much!! It’s an honor to be writing your favorite AU!! <3

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

(from the same anon about the punch thing) I can also imagine Ernique punches Villain!Hector so hard to the point that Villain!Hector's skull cracked!

As the darling of Mexican musical history, Hector is faaaar better remembered (meaning he has extremely strong bones) than even Enrique.

If Enrique were ever foolish enough to take a swing at Papa Hector, it is more likely that his own hand would shatter before Hector’s skull did…

9th

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

I've been thinking about Villain AU because You've Ruined Me and... is it wrong that I get the impression that the whole thing is a combination of a vicious cycle and a very precarious house of cards? Like... on the one hand, the whole "protect the family" thing feeds on itself: the more they 'protect', the more they need to 'protect' the family from. And on the other, they need to classify it as 'protection' because otherwise, they see their actions for what they are and it all crumbles. (cont)

  


Very astute reasoning Wee-chlo. Everything that has been gotten with morally wrong actions has a fundamentally flawed foundation, but the Riveras have worked hard to bolster any potential weaknesses with a lifetime and afterlife time of genuinely good deeds.

I will say this much though: the Rivera family set-up is _much_ stronger than it seems from the outside, but there are a few unrealized weaknesses that can only be seen from the inside…what engaging with those weaknesses will result in remains to be seen…

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

This villian AU hurts my soul ;n; is there any possibility of good times or a happy ending? my heart can't take the hurt

Spoilers anon, spoilers.

[villain!au](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/villain%21au) [coco](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/coco) [I've been told I am another Lemony Snicket](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/I%27ve-been-told-I-am-another-Lemony-Snicket)[I take that as the highest possible compliment](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/I-take-that-as-the-highest-possible-compliment)[and will continue to honor his legacy](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/and-will-continue-to-honor-his-legacy)

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

I have to say my favorite thing about you Villain AU is how easily one can trace the fall there. Poisoning Ernesto to escape, you can see where the pair would feel there was no choice with the fear and regret there. It's terrible, can't blame them, but then you can see where the aftermath naturally poisons their thoughts and behavior with fear, pushing to the point of acting again, knowing they've already crossed the line... You know they're 100% wrong, but you can SEE how it got out of control

Human nature is a trail of dominoes. If unchecked, even the smallest action will trail into another and another and another, leading down a path that may lead to a horribly overwhelming shift in character that can be traced with chilling simplicity to a single tipped tile way back at the beginning.

Ernesto’s death was the first domino, but there have been thousands more since then, thousands more choices large and small that have led two perfectly lovely people down a terrible, terrible path, twisting their personalities and reasoning _almost_ beyond recognition.

It’s the fact that we _can_ still recognize them that is so chilling…

9th

[**picajc**](https://picajc.tumblr.com/) asked:

We’re the twins involved in any of shady dealings in the au? Or any other family members/other children (if there were any)? PS I LOVE this au- it’s very exciting!

I’m so glad you’re enjoying the ride!!

There are many, many more Riveras in the family now since Coco had two siblings that lived to have many children of her own, and their interests and lives all vary differently, many of them of course becoming involved in music, just like Papa Hector. They form a tight-knit community in life, and in the land of the dead most of them live in the enormous Rivera mansion that has been built specifically to comfortably accommodate as many generations of the family as wish to live there.

Things are also very different for the Rivera family members we love so much from canon though:

**Tio y Felipe-** Since their sister was never widowed and instead went on to become very close to her husband and his career, the twins never moved in to live with Imelda. They still love their sister very much, but they’ve both noticed a change in her over the years that makes them vaguely uncomfortable, only increasing the subtle distance between them and her as the years went by.

The twins are still as innovative and inventive as ever, and they eventually ended up teaming up with Hector Junior to found a major shoe corporation based on their fearless tinkering and Hector Junior’s ruthless business sense. 

The twins do not live at the Rivera mansion in the land of the dead, although they do pay their sister a visit every now and then when the three of them all have time. They were present at Enrique’s welcome party and greeted him warmly, even if Enrique didn’t remember much of their meeting in the haze of faces and names he had to take in that night.

**Julio-** Is entirely devoted to Coco, and decided a long long time ago to trust her, especially when he began to recognize signs of darker things going on with her parents early on in their marriage. Where in canon they are a perfectly matched team, Julio’s sweet shyness is more pronounced in villain au as he resolutely focuses on the good and turn a blind eye to the potentially unsettling things happening in the background of the family.

He knows that his wife is the light of his life and that their beloved family has flourished under the direction of her and her parents. He knows that Coco tells him everything he needs to hear, and he is grateful that she doesn't tell him more than he could handle.

He is one of the head figures of the charitable side of the Rivera Foundation.

**Rosita-** While her brother has made peace with the darker elements of his in-law’s family, Rosita was never able to get past the vaguely unsettled feeling she always got around her brother’s fiancee’s family. She supports her brother, but never became close with the Riveras, staying to live with her own parents instead of moving to live with Julio at the Rivera family compound like she did in canon. In the Land of the Dead she continues to live with her own family and sees Julio occasionally, having gradually grown apart somewhat over the long years of being attached to different families.

**Victoria** \- Hmmmmmm…I’m actually keeping this one to myself for now. :)

**Elena** \- Still alive, still stern, still loving. Regrets deeply the fact that she was the one who argued with Miguel the night that he disappeared and that regret has turned her much softer towards the rest of her family. She is currently very very old, but still alive and living with Luisa and Socorro. She believes full-heartedly in the family motto, and is extremely loyal to her abuelita Imelda especially, but has never been explicitly let in on the family’s darker secrets.

9th

[**odd-cinderella**](http://odd-cinderella.tumblr.com/) asked:

HOW DARE YOU KILL OFF MY QUIQUE! 😭😭😭😭😭 But, FINALLY! Quique has a major role in a fanfic! It's bittersweet, leave me alone. My emotions can't handle.

I was so excited when I realized that Enrique is the main character of this story!

We don’t get nearly enough of Mexico’s best Papa (I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything bigger than a one shot with him as the lead character) so I’m also really really happy that we’ll get to see more of him in villain au!

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Been thinking about this a lot with the Coco stuff but it really started bugging me after reading your awesome villain au. Was just thinking about how when kids go missing and parents keep up the hope that they're still out there somewhere and how that could affect crossing over. If you're a kid who's died in mysterious circumstances and your parents are hoping against reason that you're still alive, why would they put your photo up? Then said kid can't cross over, and I thought of poor Miguel

Right? It’s such a heartbreaking thing to think about, that children would be kept from seeing their parents because their parents love them too much to admit they are dead.

Luckily this probably doesn’t happen too often, but in sure that the department of family reunions has ways of sensitively dealing with these cases and helps educate dead family members on how to help their younger family members cope well with not being able to cross the flower bridge with everyone else for the first few years.

I feel like they would develop a system that could scan for your ofrenda picture in advance so that young children could be notified of wether or not they could cross yet instead of their family dragging them all the way to the flower bridge only to be disappointed.

(A notification system that canon Hector wouldn’t have trusted anyway, hoping that maybe his picture had been put up at the last moment, or knowing he was going to try and sneak through anyway.)

As far as actual Mexican culture goes, there are actually two nights where the dead can cross to visit the land of the living, and the first day is specifically for those who died as children. Also real día de los muertos tradition doesn’t depend so excruciatingly on photographs being on an ofrenda in the way that Coco canon does.

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Looks like the Riveras had some skeletons in the closet amiright

(Excellent punning my friend, 10/10, Rodrigo would approve.)

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Do you think alebrijes can choose who they guide in the afterlife? Like, if an alebrije decided "your not worth my time anymore, I find new master" would they leave?

Since alebrijes are reflections of and directors of their person’s character, I feel that they would shift and change to match their person instead of being spooked off entirely. (Like how Dante’s character and behavior shifts to match Hector’s goals in villain!au.)

If someone were to entirely lose their sense of self though I could see their alebrije wandering off/disappearing, especially as they were gradually forgotten. This could explain why there were no aleibrijes with a visible emotional attachment to any of the skeletons in the shanty town, just one or two wandering aimlessly, while at the plaza and around town there are all kinds of close people-alebrije pairs wandering around.

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Can you make a timeline? Because I’m confused how long is has been since Miguel left and when his dad was born and all that

Behold. The official Villain!au timeline.

10th

[**banana-9-pancakes**](https://banana-9-pancakes.tumblr.com/) asked:

Man, I can't believe how much of a killer musician Hector is

I can’t believe it took me a whole minute to get this.

[THAT'S IT](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/THAT%27S-IT) [THAT'S THE AU](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/THAT%27S-THE-AU)[these puns are making writing this whole nightmare worth it](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/these-puns-are-making-writing-this-whole-nightmare-worth-it)

10th

**Anonymous** asked:

"I'm keeping that one to myself" I SCREAMED! Like I actually yelled lmao what happened to Victoria?? ;A;

[:)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deppimpact.com%2Fsound%2Fcharlie_surprise.wav&t=M2M1ZjA3ZjZhYTU0ZjE5MDc5NWFlNzY4M2Q3Njc5ODE1Mjg1YzI1NyxkeE44VUxHcg%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172777766074%2Fim-keeping-that-one-to-myself-i-screamed-like&m=1)

[Archiver's note, you gotta click the smiley.] 

10th

**Anonymous** asked:

How old is Socorro when her Papá Enrique dies? What's her deal in this au? (Also, I LOVE that you made her a drummer. Regardless of how old she is, I just love the image of a young Socorro headbanging to a drum solo)

Soccoro Rivera was born only months after her older brother Miguel’s disappearance. She grew up as an only child that was often over-supervised due to her parent’s trauma after having lost Miguel.

Soccorro would have had a fiery personality anyway, but the often claustrophobic environment she grew up in emphasized her outright rebellious behavior in her teens. She loves her parents and knows that they love her, but she has a need for speed and is something of an adrenaline junkie. She totaled her first sports car when she was sixteen after illegally drag racing on a dare. She laugh-cried the whole time her broken arm and leg were being set at the hospital while her father dry heaved into a wastebasket beside her. She wasn’t allowed behind the wheel until her 18th birthday after that.

It’s a very good thing that she inherited her name-sake’s sweetness, or her parents probably would have strangled her a long time ago. She’s never had a real argument with her parents, instead always meekly taking their lectures when she’s done something stupid, even if she may be out the next day doing something just as stupid. She’s been known to come home six hours after curfew with the cough medicine she’d heard her mama saying she needed to buy sometime, or to throw herself around her father’s neck in crying relief when he comes to pick her up from the police station/ER/bad party, always managing to melt his heart at least a little despite his best efforts to remain stern.

She’s a good kid, her curiosity just often gets the better of her and her risk-weighing skills are terrible. Her parents have came to realize this and did their best to love and support her in her wiser pursuits, loosening their restrictions somewhat when they realized it might be part of the problem.

This however didn’t soften the blow of her becoming pregnant at the age of 18.

Especially not when early ultrasounds said that she was expecting twins.

And _especially_ not when later ultrasounds detected a third child.

Luckily her idiot boyfriend Alejandro (the lead guitarist in her band, _Fénix_ ) was the best possible kind of idiot and proposed that they get married as quickly as possible when he found out they were expecting, over-the-moon excited at the prospect of being a papa. (And this was _after_ he was straight-up slammed against a wall by Enrique, one of the very very few times in Enrique’s life that he’d ever actually become violent, so Socorro knew it was real.)

Socorro was 19 when her Papa died of a heart attack. At the time she and Alejandro were taking a relaxed get-away tour/vacation with _Fénix_ as a much-needed break after having recently recovered from having the triplets. Luisa and Enrique had insisted the young couple getaway for a week or two to recharge and have some fun while they took care of the grandbabies.

They’d only just arrived in Germany when they got the call that Enrique had suddenly passed away. They hopped on the very next flight home, before the drum equipment could even be unloaded off the first plane. Alejandro held Socorro tightly the entire twelve-hour flight home as she cried bitterly into his shoulder until she actually passed out from emotional exhaustion. She’s never been one to hide her feelings, and she had always been her daddy’s girl.

Alejandro was her rock during the coming weeks and years, which was hugely important for Socorro, who in turn had to emotionally support her widowed mother.

11th

**Anonymous** asked:

So whats Chiche and Ernesto's relationship like in villian a!u as opposed to Chiche and Hectors in canon?

Ernesto did NOT descend gracefully down the social ladder.

While he started out as a productive citizen in the Land of the Dead, the closer he got to being forgotten the more scared/angry and vocal he became. Because he became pre-occupied with getting back at the Riveras somehow for ruining him, he racked up quite a police record with charges like disturbing the peace/trespassing/restraining orders, ect.

Because of this he didn’t fit into the shantytown the way canon Hector did, he knew Cheech, but he didn’t have any friends or adopted family. Ernesto was far too bitter by then to make friends with people who disgusted him as much as he disgusted himself.

11th

[**lacina-and-lucy**](https://lacina-and-lucy.tumblr.com/) asked:

Can skeletons still get hangovers after getting drunk?

YES.

Rodrigo is still very bitter about that.

11th

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

A few Villain AU AU concepts/questions: Would Rodrigo and Miguel have gotten along when Miguel was actually himself and not this brainwashed shell/if Miguel had been found by Rodrigo instead of Hector and Imelda? And what if Miguel HAD been sent back and rather than become a musician had focused on unraveling the tangled web of lies and murder that his great-great-grandparents had woven throughout their lives?

\- If Miguel had been found by Rodrigo, he would have been sent home the _instant_ Rodrigo found a marigold petal. He has no time or desire to babysit.

\- If Miguel had been sent back it’s not likely that he would have discovered the darker threads of the family legacy before he’d gotten old enough to be as loyal to protecting the family legacy as much as his other adult family members. He may have untangled it out of personal curiosity, but without having met and actually seen the villainous side of Hector, he would have had no motive to try and bring his own family’s fame and good name crashing to the ground.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172842204539/a-few-villain-au-au-conceptsquestions-would)

You’ve essentially just described his entire character perfectly.

11th

**Anonymous** asked:

For the question "what would have hapened if evil Hector wasn't so far gone as to murder Miguel", I meant for Hector to change not Miguel. Miguel is his sunshine self as always

I don’t think it would have ended very well, Miguel would have still needed intense counseling for his trip to the LOTD/seeing Ernesto turned into cat food and probably wouldn’t have told his parents about it, or at least not in entirety. If he did tell his parents everything then he probably would have been sent to therapy for an entirely different reason…

Also trying to prove Hector a murderer would have gone one of three directions:

\- There’s no paper trail or historical documentation for Miguel to try to use in the way canon Miguel proves Hector was the true musician with his letters to Coco. Miguel gets extremely upset. Still needs counseling and the truth about his family’s origins haunts him his whole life.

\- If he somehow was able to find a way to prove it his family would shut him up because he’s an impulsive twelve-year-old who doesn’t understand PR concerns yet. (Nothing drastic or violent, just sitting him down for a very stern talk about why sometimes families have secrets that need to stay secret because telling them wont do anyone any good and will only hurt people.)

\- Or if it did get to the press there would be a massive scandal that would unravel the family’s good name, taking down all their public credibility and harming all the vital charitable and community work that the Rivera Foundation does (which is a TON) as well as hurting sales from the Rivera Zapatos Corporation. Everyone is very upset at the damaging mess Miguel has managed to make for every Rivera and he becomes a bit of a pariah. Things are extremely not good for Miguel when he eventually dies and has to face all the ancestors whose legacies he’s ruined.

None of these are as bad as what actually happened, but none would have been super ideal either.

11th

**Anonymous** asked:

1/2 Ok, so I got reluctantly dragged into the villain au. You don't have to reply to this if you're busy, I just wanna share my thoughts on your latest chapter. Rodrigo reminded me of movie Hector's humor but with so much cynicism. I think Movie Hector and Rodrigo would get along though as drinking buddies if they're not aware who's who. Even if Movie Hector found out who Rodrigo is, he'd find a way to father him even if he has no experience fathering an adult, much less, a bitter one.

\- First off I’m cackling because I’m pretty sure like 90% of the villain!au fanbase was dragged here against their will out of sheer insatiable curiosity and hasn’t been able to leave since. (Including me.) It’s basically a funsettling slow-motion car wreck that’s impossible to look away from. Welcome to the party anon.

\- I love thought sharing asks and comments, thanks for taking the time. :)

\- Hector and Rodrigo are very much alike in many ways, they are father and son after all. Canon Hector and Rodrigo would have absolutely been best buds, but villain Hector is old and stern and occupied with more important things than his trouble child to worry about.

\- The Rivera Extra™ gene is definitely hereditary. Being super passionate and impulsive is a family trait that married-in family members like Julio and Luisa have to learn to handle.

\- Enrique is definitely having a Bad Time.

11th

**Anonymous** asked:

How would canon Imector react to evil Imector and vice versa?

So what would happen if you got all three (Canon, Teacher, and Villain) Imectors in the same room?

Well first of all quite a bit of screaming from teacher Imector when two sets of skeletons appeared in Hector’s apartment in the middle of their “Stranger Things” marathon.

Once everyone’s calmed down though and Canon Hector’s skull was retrieved from where Teacher Imelda had knocked it off with her boot (and teacher Hector’s scrambled around to scoop up his laundry) things would get very interesting.

Let’s assume that the Imelda’s go to one room to talk amongst themselves while the Hectors stay in the living room together.

**THE IMELDAS**

\- Teacher!Imelda is completely stunned by Villain!Imelda when she hears her story, because honestly what the heck is this, why is she murdering people.

\- Canon!Imelda can’t sleep that night. There’s too much of her secretly wishing she’d had the chance to save her Hector, realizing she would have said the exact same thing if Hector had called her for advice.

\- Canon is also envious of how incredibly close Villain!Imector is. Villain!Imelda has worked in perfect tandem with Hector for decades, and though she has a hard criminal edge, she’s also lived a life of love and wealth, which has softened her charging forward impulsiveness. Villain!Imelda is the definition of cool and collected, she’s had a life of PR experience under belt.

C: “What do you mean you don’t own a shoe shop?”

T: “Neither of us own shoe shops.”

C: “Yes, but you’re young, you’ve still got time to fix that.”

T: “Hector’s family has a shoe shop though.”

C: “YOU LET HIM NEAR THE SHOP??”

\- Teacher!Hector pops his head in to check on the Imeldas because all the Hectors weren’t sure whether they’d all be best friends or trying to kill each other, he’s got his glasses on and there’s just a collective SWOON from the Imeldas.

\- The moment is ruined when Canon is suddenly very concerned about how bad Hector’s eyes are.

C: “Are they just…are they very strong?”

T: “His glasses? Oh, yes. He’s hopelessly farsighted. If he was less of an idiot he’d wear them all the time.”

C: *internal screaming as she realizes THAT might be the reason Hector can’t make shoes to (metaphorically) save his life.* “MY HUSBAND’S BEEN BLIND FOR ALL THESE YEARS AND I NEVER KNEW.”

\- Also Villain!Imelda wears her hair down, which weirds out the other two. Canon Imelda is very concerned about it getting into the equipment. Teacher Imelda cannot fathom having enough patience to manage her hair like that.

\- The Imeldas eventually end up moving to over-reserved small talk after Villain!Imelda starts getting cagey with her answers when they start asking about family specific topics.

**THE HECTORS**

T: “Do you guys want anything?”

V: “Do you actually have anything?”

T: “Uh, no. But it’s nice to offer, right?”

\- A century of being a celebrity and public figure has left Villain unprepared to face 20-something disaster Hectors. He sips his tequila (literally the only consumable thing in the house) while he watches the other two knock it back and just shakes his head.

\- Teacher is completely lost because WHY IS THERE SO MUCH POISON CONNECTED WITH ERNESTO. IT JUST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, ERNESTO’S KIND OF A JERK SOMETIMES BUT HE WOULDN’T MURDER ANYONE. Villain especially gets very intense, mentioning something about needing to protect Imelda and someone named Coco, but he immediately backtracks when Hector asks who Coco is.

\- The other Hectors keep trying to get him away from Ernesto and Teacher has to keep insisting that it’s nothing like that in his universe, his Ernesto would never hurt a fly.

\- The Hectors also have a bit of a weird disconnect because they’re all such different ages. Teacher thought he was mellow compared to Canon, but then meeting his 51-year-old murder self is like “Okay yeah I do not have it together at all.”

\- Villain and Teacher are both mortified at how easily Canon can remove his body parts.

\- Teacher’s glasses get passed around at some point and they all realize their eyesight is awful.

\- Teacher realizes just how nice his life is in that his worst experience with tequila was having the worst hangover ever while wearing someone else’s clothes while Ernesto seemed to be hitting every pothole in the road.

\- Canon is very jealous of the opportunities that teacher and Villain have, including education, a functioning family, being alive past 21, and of course the potential ability to have more than one child someday and raise them. Canon comforts himself with the fact that at least in his timeline Miguel is happy and alive and living with his parents

\- Villain brings a photo of himself just before he died and the other two just marvel at how they’d look if they were middle-aged, Canon, especially.

**THE MIGUELS**

\- The Hectors hear a small voice call “Tio Hector” and both Villain and Teacher turn

\- Baby Miguel is quickly herded back down to Senora Olguin’s because he does not need to deal with seeing his dead self, who is silently clinging close to his Papa’s jacket as always. All the Hectors agree this is for the best.

“Tio Hector, are we gonna be skeletons one day?”

“Well, eventually, but, ah…not as soon as our visitors were.”

\- Baby Miguel and Canon Hector do get a chance to chat later though, and Teacher expects to find a horrified Miguel but instead, Miguel’s getting wild stories about the Land of the Dead and loving it.

\- Baby Miguel, who hasn’t really figured out the whole “Alternate Universe” thing, asks Canon if his parents are there and immediately gets a _“Por supuesto, chamaco! Where else would they go? Ay, you should’ve seen them last Dia de Muertos, they were just about ready to jump the gate to get over that flower bridge. Which, ah, it’s a good thing they didn’t. That doesn’t work out so well.”_ After which he IMMEDIATELY deflects the topic to his funnier crossing attempts.

\- Canon Hector silently thanks God that his Miguel is alive and with his parents.

\- Both younger Hectors try their best to talk to dead!Miguel, but Teacher is set on getting this Miguel to talk. He knows how to deal with traumatized kids at this point from both taking care of Miguel and his career of working with children.

\- Dead Miguel isn’t having it though, even though Villain tells him its okay to talk. (They’ve been together long enough by now that Villain knows it’s safe, all the other two Hectors have been told is that he didn’t get home in time from his curse and has been dealing badly with the resulting trauma.)

\- Teacher is very persistent though, because he can tell that some is very not right, he hates to even think it, but he’s been a teacher long enough to sniff out bad treatment of children when he sees it. Especially in an alternate version of his grandson. He knows what Miguel is supposed to be like, and this is not it.

\- Teacher shows dead!Miguel the record player, tries to talk about music, says they’ve got some extra tangerines in the kitchen if he wants one. No reaction.

\- Teacher starts to really dig his heels in and Villain decides it’s time to go, he doesn’t want the truth weighing on any other Hector’s conscience.

\- The meeting ends on a sour note as the Villains depart, and the Canon and Teacher couples both mention how strangely they acted once they’re gone before Canon heads back as well.

Honestly, everyone comes out of this with some unsettling things to think about.

13th

[**ancientstone**](http://ancientstone.tumblr.com/) asked:

I was in the middle of the shopping centre today and suddenly thought of Canon and Teacher Hector softly talking to Dead Miguel, kneeling next to him and trying to encourage him to talk and omg I nearly died of a heartbreak right there what have you done to me

Well definitely don’t think of dead Miguel getting overwhelmed at the two almost-but-somehow-not-quite-strangers who keep asking him too many questions he just doesn’t want to answer and him breaking into frustrated tears.

Don’t think of the two other Hectors exchanging panicked glances as they try to calm him down. But dead Miguel just can’t take the combined expectant attention and just stands stock still, closing his eyes and crying until villain Hector comes and gets him, apologizing to everyone and saying Miguel’s had a really long day, what with the inter-dimensional travel and all.

Don’t think about how stunned and hollow Canon and Teacher Hector feel when Miguel’s been led away from them, crushed at the thought that they might have scared a Miguel from _any_ universe.

14th

##  [Villain!au TV Tropes Page](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172930213974/villainau-tv-tropes-page)

“I decided to create an official tvtropes page for your Coco Villain!AU. Here!

[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/WhateverItTakes](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Ftvtropes.org%2Fpmwiki%2Fpmwiki.php%2FFanfic%2FWhateverItTakes&t=OGQyZTdjODE0MzI5YjgxYzQwODEyYjc1MGY0YzhkNjg3YTNmNjUzZCwyRDdaQk81QQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172930213974%2Fvillainau-tv-tropes-page&m=1)

It’s small now but I hope to add more later on. And you or any other fans are more than welcome to add on to the page. I hope you like it! ^_^”

\- [@princeasimdiya12](https://tmblr.co/mMGIMhkA0P1KhPXQpQrfa6g)

IT’S TOO COOL I CAN’T HANDLE IT.

Thank you so much for putting this together! It’s already fascinating for me to browse through and see all the different trope elements pulled out, I’m super excited to see how it grows as the story continues!

This also seems like a good opportunity to give credit where it’s due and say that villain!au wouldn’t exist without [@slusheeduck](https://tmblr.co/m6RoCOMrf9aNc6jybGk6vRQ) who has been helping me to brainstorm and story develop behind the scenes.

They’ve been a sort of stage crew co-author that’s helped me make sure the costumes are sparkling and that all the set pieces are in place. I’m going to start crediting their help on chapters and things since it’s reached a point where I’d be an Ernesto if I didn’t say how much of my song they’ve helped to write. While I am indeed the author, I’d love it if their name could be put on the TV tropes page as well as a co-creater of the AU.

Looking forward to seeing this page grow, and I’m excited for you to read the next chapter! Thanks so much for adding to the villain!au community!!

\- Wit

14th

[ **lapieldelmal** ](http://lapieldelmal.tumblr.com/post/114713991709)

“Couples that clean blood off of each other are couples that stay together”

[**aleja09isthebest**](http://aleja09isthebest.tumblr.com/post/172937615193)

[@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw)

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172941300864/aleja09isthebest-lapieldelmal-couples-that)

“Hector!“ Imelda cried, nearly dropping her bag in shock as she stepped into Hector’s dressing room. “What happened?“

Hector looked up from where he was scrubbing his arms in the tiny sink near the vanity. He had soap suds all the way up to his elbows, which was doing nothing for the dirt and grime and _blood_ that covered his face and clothing. It couldn’t all be his own, there seemed to be a cut across his cheek, but she hadn’t seen this kind of blood since…well, since the night he’d left to _take care of something_ without telling her.

“It’s a bit gruesome isn’t it?“ Hector chuckled, continuing to scrub his arms, the water in the sink a grimy pink as it twisted down the drain.

“Gruesome?” Imelda cried, setting her purse on a nearby couch and shrugging off her expensive gown jacket. “Hector, I know you said you had a busy schedule today, but we have to leave for the gala dinner in ten minutes!“

“Lo siento Imelda, I tried seeing if I could move it to another day, but it didn’t work out.“ Hector said, grimacing apologetically as he allowed Imelda to unbutton his destroyed shirt and pull it off over his still sudsy arms, tossing it into a nearby wastebasket. “I completely lost track of time.“

“Well tell that to the mayor.“ Imelda said irritably, grabbing a damp washcloth and starting to scrub at his face.

Luckily the makeup artist that had gotten Hector ready for today’s war film shoot seemed to have done their job well, and the fake wounds and blood and grime on Hector’s face came off easily.

“I’ll just tell him I was fighting the Mexican Revolution.“ Hector laughed, “the set was amazing today Imelda, it really looked like a real war zone!“

“Your hair is the real war zone.“ Imelda said, grabbing a comb from the vanity and attacking Hector’s hair, which had been stylized to match whatever war hero he was playing in his current film. “As soon as I’m done get the rest of your costume off and get into a suit, there’s no time for you to shower.“

“Si, I will.“ Hector said, drying his hands and arms off on a towel as he bent over slightly so Imelda could reach his hair. “You know, everything on set looks so realistic, but they always get the bodies wrong. The actors that are supposed to be dead are always in comfortable looking positions, you know, like if they’ve just lain down for a nap or something, not like they’ve actually just _died_.“

“Well, you can’t expect everyone to know what a corpse actually looks like.“ Imelda chided, in no mood for small talk. “And they always get ridiculous with the blood, I wish they’d stop making you quite so torn up in all these battle shots.“

“Well, you have to admit it’s a lot easier cleanup than normal.“ Hector smiled, catching her off-guard as he leaned in for a quick kiss.

“And you’re very lucky that it is.“ Imelda said, pulling away from the kiss and swatting his shoulder, but smiling despite herself. “Now get changed, I left the car running with the valet.“

“I’ll only be a minute.“ Hector promised, kissing her forehead before walking over to his wardrobe.

“Remember, we have to go take care of that lawyer between the gala and the hospital wing dedication ceremony,” Imelda said, walking back to the couch to pull on her dress jacket and have a seat as Hector changed. “we’re on a tight schedule tonight.“

“That’s right, the cigar smoker that’s getting too nosey. We decided on arson, si?” Hector asked, pulling on a fresh set of pants.

“It should only take a few minutes, the whole house has ridiculously flammable curtains.“ Imelda said, rifling through her purse. She could have sworn she’d had extra lipstick with her. “And then we’ll have to hurry to the dedication, it’s the perfect time window, everyone will think we came straight from the gala.“

“Good, that sounds perfect.“ Hector nodded, pulling on a dress jacket over his new shirt.

Imelda caught him pausing, just for a moment, before picking up the black armband from a shelf and slipping it on over his sleeve. Imelda bit her lip, looking down at her own black dress. It had been months since Rodrigo’s death, and the sting of it was only just beginning to fade, but at least Hector’s regret seemed to be turning into normal grief. It was better that way.

“Ready to go?“ Imelda asked, standing and picking up her bag.

“Ready as I can be.“ Hector said, walking over and taking her bag, slipping it over his own shoulder to carry for her, then opening the dressing room door with a bow.

“Gracias.“ Imelda said, resisting the urge to run her fingers through his freshly combed hair as she swept out the door.

They were going to have a busy night, they both needed to be as presentable as possible.

15th

**Anonymous** asked:

When I read about the skeleton Hectors both trying to convince teacher Hector that staying friends with Ernesto is a bad idea all I could think was "it would be incredibly awkward if teacher au Ernesto came home just in time to walk in on this strangeness" haha. Probably for the best that he didn't.

\- Ernesto comes home during the Hector meeting

Canon!Hector: “DO YOU HAVE ANY FORMALDEHYDE?”

Ernesto: “Uh, where would I even get–”

V: “ANSWER ME.”

E: “NO I DON’T HAVE ANY FORMALDEHYDE??? WHY?? DO YOU WANT SOME??”

\- Poor Teacher!Ernesto has to deal with suspicious looks from Imelda and anxiety from Hector. He just wants to make YouTube videos.

\- The other two Hectors just stare and stare at Ernesto and the way he and Teacher still get along. Both are on edge the entire time he’s in the room. No one realizes it, but Villain!Hector is extremely close to just dropping Ernesto on the spot. After all, it would be protecting family.

**THE ERNESTOS**

Teacher!Ernesto goes to his bedroom and the other two Ernestos are there. A very interesting chat ensues.

\- On one hand, Teacher!Ernesto loves his canon self because _he did it_ , he became Mexico’s greatest musician. But there’s a weird emptiness to him and he’s not sure if he likes that.

T: “So how did you–I?–do it? Because Hector and I are trying _really_ hard to make it, and sometimes it feels impossible.”

_*Prolonged awkward silence from Canon!Ernesto*_

C: “So tell me, how easy is it to get formaldehyde these days?”

\- Both Ernestos, even Murdered!Ernesto, are very adamant in telling teacher!Nesto that Hector’s keeping him back, because he cares too much about his family.

T: “Who, the Riveras? He barely talks to them.”

C: “No, his wife and the kid.”

T: “Hector isn’t married. He…”

M: “THEN MAKE SURE HE DOESN’T _EVER_ GET MARRIED.”

C: “JUST, JUST GO ON THE ROAD WITH HIM AND NEVER COME BACK.”

M: “THAT’S THE SECRET.”

C: “THAT’S HOW YOULL MAKE IT.”

T: “We had this really amazing road trip a few years ago and…”

C: “YES. THAT. DO THAT FOREVER. DON’T LET THAT WOMAN GET HER CLAWS IN HIM.”

T: “But Hector gets sad if…”

C: “HECTOR WILL ALWAYS GET SAD. RAIN MAKES HIM SAD. HE’LL BE FINE.”

\- Also the too-long awkward silence when Teacher!Hector steps in the room, because it’s been an AWFULLY long time since either skelenesto has seen him alive and moving and it’s a little jarring. Canon!Ernesto is the most floored, obviously, because the last time he’d seen that face in color was when he was shoveling dirt over it.

Teacher!Ernesto: “Teto, you should come meet these guys. The one in the white suit is me, but _famous_! And, well, dead, but still famous!”

Teacher!Hector: “Que chido! How’d you manage that?”

_*DISCOMFORT INTENSIFIES*_

\- Doña Lucinda shows up and saves the day, all the Ernestos coo over her for the rest of the afternoon and she soaks up the attention while all the Ernestos aggressively avoid the topic of living Hector.

Which honestly has been the purpose of every Ernesto chihuahua in any universe

16th

**Anonymous** asked:

How does Villain!Hector fare in romantic movies? Does Imelda ever act with him? Because my head says Imelda simply isn’t the acting type, while my heart says their on-screen chemistry would be to die for.

The “Rivera Dynamic” was a golden standard that every director and writer in the early 20th century strove to achieve in their romance films.

Like every actor, Tio Hector played a lot of similar roles, usually a loving and warm heroic character, often a fatherly figure, who could get things done while teaching an important lesson. Outside of film, Tio Hector was famous and loved for the way he treated his wife, it was practically part of his celebrity brand how unabashedly in love he and Imelda were, making it a little complicated whenever a director was able to contract Tio Hector to star in their film. 

There were a few times that a director tried to work in a romance role for a Tio Hector film, and while Hector was a perfectly charming gentleman who always managed to become friends with everyone on set, his on-screen romances were never as striking or inspiring as they wanted. The dashing chemestry he had in real life with Imelda was never something they were quite able to replicate on-screen.

The glowing exception to this was _Nunca Sabes,_ one of the most beloved Tio Hector films of his entire career, an action film that had a romantic subplot. During rehearsal one day the starring actress playing Tio Hector’s love interest was sick, and since Imelda happened to be on set that day (and after much wheedling from Hector) she reluctantly agreed to act as a temporary stand-in so he could practice his scene blocking and lines. (He was a big believer in showing up for and taking full advantage of rehearsal time.) 

Although Imelda was stiff starting out, rolling her eyes and deadpan reading off a spare copy of the script, after running through the scene once or twice she started to warm up to it, beginning to ad-lib her own lines to push back against Hector’s in a more teasing way. By the time they ran through the scene for the fourth time the entire set crew was watching attentively as sparks flew on set. One of the cameramen quietly signaled the others to start rolling, and the “Rivera Dynamic” was caught on film for the first time.

Afterward the producer and director approached Imelda to beg/offer her the role of the love interest, and it was the fight of the century. Imelda had zero interest at first, but Hector lit up at the idea of being able to perform with his wife, there was quite a bit of back and forth.

The writers agreed to adapt the script to give Imelda much more room to ad-lib her own lines and condensed the number of scenes she would have to appear in and eventually Imelda agreed to come on for the project. (Something that made Hector incredibly excited and that she ultimately did end up enjoying quite a bit, even if it was exhausting.)

The film was a huge success and critics raved about the stunning chemistry of the Riveras on screen, something that was even more closely watched for by the press afterward every time they appeared together in public. It was however the first and _last_ time that Imelda agreed to perform in a film, as she still felt that her performance overall was subpar in comparison to the other professional actors on screen. And besides, she had plenty to do already in running her husband’s career already.

_Nunca sabes_ lives on as a favorite of Tio Hector fans long after thier death, not only as an international romantic film classic, but as a forever preserved memory of the impeccable and legendary chemistry that Tio Hector and his wife Imelda had.

It’s a huge reason they both have perfectly snowy white bones in the Land of the Dead, and why they are likely to stay that way for a very very long time. It’s also the reason that Imelda is just as well remembered as Hector, something very rare for women of her time, as women were far less likely to have their names well remembered and their stories passed down than their husbands.

16th

**Anonymous** asked:

I just wanna wrap Villain!AU Miguel up in a blanket and give him back to his parents. (And smack Villain!Hector with a shoe. Twice.)

You may succeed in hitting Héctor once.

But he would not give you the opportunity to hit him a second time. 

(But for real, we need to start a get-Miguel-a-blanket-and-his-parents-back club.)

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

If we can't hit Villain!Hector twice, can we at least make it with something really heavy? Like the bus from the deleted scenes?

  
  


18th

[**mayordomogoliat**](http://mayordomogoliat.tumblr.com/) asked:

Back to canon vs AUs personalities I do wonder about Villain!Hector vs Canon!Ernesto; I mean there's a certain amount of "You're only second rate" from the Hector side considering the sucess and how far he's willing to go, it's like a coyote vs a wolf. Also the irony that this is an Hector who continued to stardom of his own volition and is willing "seize his moment" much more willingly than himself.

Yessssss, now _that_ would be an uncomfortable meeting.

It’s essentially Desperation coming face-to-face with Determination. While Ernesto stole and pretended and faked his way to glory, villain!Hector _earned every inch of it_.

While Ernesto has to take all he has and uses his fame to hide away his worst parts, Hector has embraced it as a way to become the best person he can be, a living father and husband and grandfather who provides for his family and the community around him by developing and sharing his talents.

The dark twist, of course, being that both men are willing to do whatever it takes when it comes down to it, but what do you really think is the more dangerous?

A man who knows he is doing wrong but is seeking to protect his own ego and lies?

Or a man who loves his family so much that he will kill to protect them?

I get the feeling that if Ernesto and villain!Hector ever met, Ernesto would get a deeply unsettled feeling to see what his childhood friend and victim had become: everything he’d wanted from his own life and more, except that _he’d earned it._ Hector would still be the better man, the one with the heart and the talent, and Ernesto would see that he had only stolen a shadow of what Hector could have done if he had lived.

And that’s beside the fact that villain!Hector would have no problem disposing of Ernesto if he discovered who he was and what he had done. It’s in Ernesto’s best interests to get back to his own timeline as quickly as humanly possible, he would be no match for villain!Hector’s dark righteous fury.

20th

[**andy-fries**](http://andy-fries.tumblr.com/post/173137735308)

**Miguel:** I’m gonna play in Mariachi Plaza even if it kills Me!

Me, who has read the villain!au story by [@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw) several times:

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

I can see Enrique in the Villain!au being like: “Look! You ruined a perfectly good Miguel - look at him, he has anxiety!”

DEFINITELY

That’s literally the au.

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

Have Villain!AU Imelda and Hector ever gotten into fights? Like real actual fights that pertain towards the things they've done?

Villain Imector has disagreements, like every couple does, but they rarely have actual fights. They depend on each other too much for mental and emotional stability (especially Héctor) to really pull apart for too long.

Héctor feels strongly about a lot of things, but he’s learned that if Imelda is insisting on something then she’s always usually right, so generally he backs down. Imelda on the other hand has learned how to pick her battles, because sometimes Héctor will get emotionally attached to an idea to the point of _having_ to pursue it, and if she pushes too hard without a very good reason it only leads to contention and him becoming evasive.

She doesn’t like it when he becomes evasive, it’s because he never wants to lie to her meaning he’ll just avoid her until whatever he’s doing is over, and so she tries to keep him as happy as she can to make sure that he’s at least consulting with her on whatever hairbrained scheme his heart is leading him to pursue at the moment.

(We can see this at play in how she allowed him to keep Miguel close instead of seeing a therapist immediately. It also applies heavily to Héctor’s relationship with Victoria, since everything about Victoria puts Imelda on edge, but Héctor dotes on her too much for Imelda to really be able to object, especially since _someone_ has to keep an eye on Victoria, and Héctor is the only one that mellows her out some.)

21st

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

Enrique taking YOLO to entirely new levels, like holy dunk.

Y-ou

O-nly

L-try to save your son from a psychologically oppressive situation while seriously emotionally compromised because of your own recent death

O-nce

(?)

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/173161236479/enrique-taking-yolo-to-entirely-new-levels-like)

[@dogbearinggifts](https://tmblr.co/mkNbKaEckLjPN__EDmgQVOw)

Don’t worry you guys, the acronym is fixed now

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

How many kids did each of Hector and imeldas children have?

Coco- Two daughters: Victoria and Elena

Mateo- Six children

Leti- Died at seventeen, but in the afterlife has gotten married and adopted two children.

Hector Juinor- To everyone’s surprise managed to get married and have four children.

Rodrigo- To everyone’s surprise managed _not_ to have any children before dying unmarried at age twenty-six. (He’s actually a lot more mindful of that kind of thing than everyone assumes, he’s constantly aware of what it’s like to have an absent father and never wanted to inflict that on any other children by accident.)

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

I'm deeply, DEEPLY afraid for Queque. QAQ (Also villain Hector scares me with how easily he gaslights himself and others. *shudder*)

Villain Héctor is a classic Shakespearean example of just how far a good person can slide when they start rationalizing moral boundaries, especially when they’ve been doing it for over a hundred years.

Villain!au has definitely become a more mature read in its literary themes, I blame my college Shakespeare course this semester, but it’s serving as an excellent experiment in human nature for those who enjoy really seeing what makes characters tick, and for those who enjoy psychological thrillers.

Like, if teacher!au and villain!au were on shelves at the library, teacher!au would probably be labeled “Young Adult Urban Romance” and villain!au would be “Adult Fiction Psychological Action Thriller.”

I mean in the fanfiction world they all become “Fic,” but it’s been interesting to me to see how there are certainly readership age ranges dependant on the actual genre of the fic. While there is crossover in readership, it’s been a fun experiment to be catering to two different audiences and being able to stretch my ability as a writer to encompass more storytelling tools.

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

How would Villain!Hector react to Teacher!AU Ernesto?

BAD IDEA

DO NOT LEAVE THEM ALONE IN THE SAME ROOM

Villain!Hector would know at some level that Teacher!Ernesto wasn’t the same person as the man who tried to kill him, but it’s very likely that if he had to look at Ernesto’s smug face too long it would dredge up too many bad memories and he might decide that some preventative action was in order. Just in case.

After all, Ernesto has proven deadly in 2/3 universe he knows of, and they are all still young in the teacher-verse, meaning it’s likely that Ernesto just hasn’t decided to strike _yet._

Teacher!au Imelda and Hector and Miguel (and Villain!Héctor would assume their future children) are family, even if they’re from a different universe, which means that they must be protected.

26th

[**sweetiepie08**](https://sweetiepie08.tumblr.com/) asked:

What might happen in a villain!au au in which Hector chickens out and “accidentally” smashes the glasses instead?

That’s a really interesting question! Not the least because it takes the focus off what Hector did, and instead focuses more on what Ernesto would do.

In villain!au Hector takes decisive action, putting him and Imelda in control of the situation, if he were to shy away from killing Ernesto first it would make the situation far less predictable and far more dangerous for him.

If Hector smashed the glass then that would be a very small delay of Ernesto’s plan, after all, the issue isn’t the glass, it’s Ernesto’s uncontrolled greed, desperation and possessiveness.

If he smashed it in front of Ernesto in a “I know what you’re doing” gesture then Ernesto’s panic and desperation would escalate dangerously, and we all know that when Ernesto panics, people get flung off tall buildings.

If the glass were to mysteriously disappear then Ernesto would just poison another glass. If it disappeared again he might start to get suspicious and nervous. Which brings us back to escalation, but this time without Hector knowing what’s coming next.

Essentially from the moment Hector discovers the poison their traveling together is over, Ernesto is too far gone to be safely faced about it, any confrontation would end in disaster.

But there are several ways things could have gone without Hector poisoning Ernesto first, but they’ve all got their own thorns as well.

Hector could have just skipped town during the night, up and left for Santa Cecilia without saying a word.

1.) The problem with this plan, or at least the one that Hector saw with it, is that he no longer has any idea what Ernesto is capable of. He’s just found out that his childhood friend wants to murder him, meaning that all bets are off, the line’s been crossed, he doesn't even know who Ernesto is anymore.

Would Ernesto stab him? He doesn’t know. Would Ernesto track him back to Santa Cecilia? Hector doesn’t know. Would Ernesto _threaten his family_? Hector has no idea.

Because Ernesto is a lethal wild card at that point, all Hector does know is that he does NOT want him anywhere near Imelda and Coco, meaning that until he can solve the problem, he is trapped in Mexico city with a man who wants him dead.

2.) What the most intelligent thing for Hector to do would probably have been to go straight to the police, tell them what he’d seen, try and get Ernesto arrested. And who knows, it might have worked, but there’s several things that ended up getting in the way of that:

\- Hector is not thinking straight, he feels trapped and desperate, he’s in an unfamiliar town with his would-be killer who is also emotionally possessive and keeping close tabs on him

\- The fear that if the police don’t buy it and Ernesto goes free then Hector is back where he started, but much much worse. After all, what proof does he actually have? Ernesto hasn’t actually tried anything yet, and the police wouldn’t go searching through his luggage just because Hector said he saw something funny. What if they did search and Ernesto had rehidden the glass? And what would they do even if they found the glass? Charge Ernesto for improper handling of dishware? Hector doesn’t actually have a solid case against Ernesto, and that’s a level of uncertainty that his desperation wouldn’t easily latch onto, too many unsure factors and what-if’s to make it an easy choice.

So yes, there were many ways that Hector could have chosen to react to Ernesto’s betrayal, villain!au just happens to pursue the darkest possible route while still remaining in-character.

It’s awful and it’s kept Hector awake for MANY long nights afterward, but there’s also a few important things to keep in mind. The most important being that Hector was desperately hoping the whole time that the glass somehow wasn’t actually poisoned, trying to convince himself that Ernesto wouldn’t actually do that, that nothing was wrong with the glass, that he’d imagined it all and that they could keep on being friends. That desperate rationalizing is the only thing that got him through the terrible deed.

Hector was shattered for several reasons when Ernesto collapsed after that fatal drink, he’d just killed his best friend, who really _had_ been trying to murder him after all.

29th

**Anonymous** asked:

I'd love to hear the story of when Rodrigo showed up drunk to the charity ball

Everyone would actually, but too many reporters received waaaay too much money for the story to ever hit the papers. Here’s what’s been gleaned by Rivera historians from private accounts and rumors though:

\- Rodrigo was not supposed to attend in the first place.

\- When he did arrive it was on horseback.

\- It was a stolen horse.

\- Hector tried to talk Rodrigo off the horse as he gleefully rode it around the charity ball, singing [_Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DYcyiC79l910&t=Yjc3YjZiMTY1NTI1NTUzODlkYzdhNTYyZjBjM2NmZjYyMjNjZWViMSx3SHBOazUweQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F173407155814%2Fid-love-to-hear-the-story-of-when-rodrigo-showed&m=1) at the top of his lungs. (Exactly the kind of popular song from America that Hector did not appreciate at all.)

\- Eventually Hector and Rodrigo ended the evening shouting at each other after Hector finally managed to yank his son off the horse and drag him to a back room where certain staff members _almost_ couldn’t hear them fighting.

\- The horse was presumably returned to its rightful owner by security, despite Rodrigo drunkenly yelling that she shouldn’t be taken back, that her owner treated her horribly.

\- Rodrigo was escorted home by a different team of security to sober up away from the public eye.


	4. May 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All tumblr posts and asks published during May 2018 in chronological order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The main chapters are in full swing and most of the backstory has already been established in asks, meaning most of this month's asks are about things happening in the story.

2nd

[**dogbearinggifts**](http://dogbearinggifts.tumblr.com/post/173533193612)

So I was thinking about [@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw)‘s Villain AU, specifically about [this post](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172847522589/how-would-canon-imector-react-to-evil-imector-and#notes) where Teacher!Imelda, Villain!Imelda and Canon!Imelda meet. Somehow my mind wandered to [this exchange from ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quotes.net%2Fshow-quote%2F12870&t=YmRjNzJmZTk0NTA0OTA4ZjE3NDU2MWQ5OTVlZmY5ZjBjYWUyMDM2YSwxMHBSMjl5aQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F173533263304%2Fdogbearinggifts-so-i-was-thinking-about&m=1)[_Burn Notice_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quotes.net%2Fshow-quote%2F12870&t=YmRjNzJmZTk0NTA0OTA4ZjE3NDU2MWQ5OTVlZmY5ZjBjYWUyMDM2YSwxMHBSMjl5aQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F173533263304%2Fdogbearinggifts-so-i-was-thinking-about&m=1) and….well, I got this.

So Canon!Imelda vents to Villain!Imelda about how awful it was to lose Héctor. Actually, _venting_ is a somewhat mild term for what happens, since there are tears, and guilt, and self-blame, and nearly a century of bottled-up fury comes crashing out. When Canon has exhausted everything she has to say, Villain regards her for a long moment, then holds out her hands, palms upward. Puzzled, Canon places her hands in Villain’s.

**Villain:** I’m going to take you through a relaxation exercise.

**Canon:** Oh, _that’s_ how it is? I cry over my husband’s _murder_ and you think I should _relax_?

**Villain:** I nearly lost my Héctor too, remember? I understand. Now. Take my hands again.

[Canon does so.]

**Villain:** Close your eyes.

[She does.]

**Villain:** Now, I want you to picture a mountain stream. Do you see it?

**Canon:** [nods]

**Villain:** [smiling encouragement, though Canon can’t see it] Good. Now, I want you to picture yourself…drowning Ernesto in the mountain stream.

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

I was rewatching Spiderman: Homecoming and something Toomes/The Vulture said reminded me very suddenly of your Villain!AU. "Peter *nothing* is more important than family." And then going on to say that bc Peter saved his daughter he's gonna give him a chance to go so long as he stops getting in the vultures way and doesn't tell anyone. Threatening to kill him if he does get in the way and justifying it as what he would do to protect his family. Not 100% villain!AU but it gave me those vibes.

## The Vulture vs Villain!Hector

\- Loving father with a wife and daughter

\- Livelihood threatened by an outside force

\- Has to defend himself by going around the law

\- Considers self to be a scrappy underdog and a victim of the situation

\- Things get progressively more shady

\- Has earned every bit of success he has

\- Does it all for family

\- Has a fancy house great for parties

\- Eventually has to kill a boy to keep it all from crashing down

No yeah, this definitely seems to check out. Very cool parallel, I love it!

The vulture’s character really was handled magnificently in Homecoming, I really enjoyed watching him exactly because he was so close to being in the right but totally off. Something else I loved is that at the very end he wasn’t willing to sell out Peter, that he knew the kid had saved his life. He’s the kind of villain that is evil because of circumstance, not because of his nature.

But he’s still not at all one of the good guys.

19th

**Anonymous** asked:

Villain au headcanons for the Riveras American/European tour? They are seen shopping at Harrods in London UK.

When they’re settled in their career the Riveras make several international trips, whether to Hollywoodland to talk shop with like-minded performers, attend galas on the East coast, or see the sights in Europe while soaking up the culture.

They don’t travel all that much though, it’s their youngest son Rodrigo who really earns a reputation as a globetrotter. After all, why just stay in Mexico when there’s fantastic musical history and minds in _all_ countries? (It’s also a plus since your family isn’t in Spain or New York and you can have a good time in peace.)

28th

Villain Hector out there like that Dinkleburg meme but instead it says Rodrigo this chapter

  
  


28th

By @slusheeduck

###  [Goodbye](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/174338973688/goodbye)

_So I’ve been lowkey freaking out over_ [ _@im-fairly-whitty_ ](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw) _‘s Villain AU for a while now and wanted to do something for it for a while (aside from screaming about Ruy which I do almost 24/7), so here’s a quick little thing. Enjoy!_

_When I’m older, I want to be a musician like you, Papá!_

The words rang so clearly in Héctor’s head that he half-expected to see a little boy laying in the gleaming white casket as he walked toward it. But no, no. That was a man lying in there—still and quiet and beyond any hope of being saved. He reached forward and lightly brushed a hair that seemed to be stuck out of place even in death.

“ _Ay_ , Ruy, what happened to you?’ he murmured, as if his youngest son would open his eyes and answer him. Granted, Rodrigo probably wouldn’t have answered in life, either.

“Well, it’s not like this is _unexpected_ ,” Teto had said when they got the news of Rodrigo’s car accident—he’d plunged off the road and into the bay; driving while intoxicated was what the coroner had finally said was the cause.

Teto had refused to attend the viewing, and it’d taken a good dose of wheedling to ensure he’d be at the funeral. Certainly they’d never gotten along—that fake tooth in Teto’s head was proof of it—but Rodrigo was still his brother and _family came first_. Even when they frustrated you. Even when you didn’t like them.

Even when they’d turned their backs on the family for three years.

_Papá, look, I wrote a song! Can you listen to it?_

Héctor swallowed hard, eyes darting up to the lid of the casket. The funeral was in just a few minutes, and he’d need to close the lid soon. He _should_ do it now, but…it was hard. It’d been hard with Leti, too—with the wig and makeup they’d put on her, she’d looked the healthiest she had in months.

Was that it? Was that what had pushed Rodrigo away? Being constantly shooed off to Coco with a “Maybe later, Ruy,” while he and Imelda were busy with hospital bills, doctor visits, and his career on top of it all. That’s when the bright smiles started fading, when the sulkiness started, when the endless requests to play something with his Papá finally stopped.

This wasn’t like Leti. The Rodrigo laying in this coffin looked nothing like his living counterpart. That Rodrigo was all constant, languid shifting, all quips and slow smiles and heavy-lidded eyes. He moved slowly, mostly due to his _problems_ , but he moved _constantly._ This Rodrigo was too still, too serious. Héctor liked this one less than the living one.

Even so, he still couldn’t shut the lid.

_I know it’s been a while, but I’m going to be conducting in El Distrito tonight. I know you have a couple gigs out here, so it’d really mean a lot if you could come see it, Papá?_

None of his other children had gotten his love of music. They had other talents, certainly—Coco had been one of the most distinguished dancers in México before she retired to have her family; Mateo was wonderfully diplomatic—though whether that was innate or from dealing with the two most argumentative brothers in México was up for debate—and did such beautiful things with the Foundation; and Teto, well, his head for numbers was practically _legendary_ —just look at the Rivera Zapatos Corporation _._

But Ruy had _always_ had music in him, ready to burst out the moment he gave it the chance. Pages and pages of sheet music had covered his floor as a kid—Héctor had given him a notebook, just like the one he’d had, but Rodrigo had filled it in less than six months. And the music he made was _beautiful_ —vibrant and full of alegría, challenging the listener in its nearly manic liveliness. It was such a startling thing, hearing that come from such an angry, impulsive young man.

Héctor had never managed to see Rodrigo conduct—there was never any time before Ruy ran away to New York—but he’d read the rave reviews about the performances, read articles about the near-child prodigy taking the musical world by storm with the way he pulled every conceivable emotion from the orchestras he led. There was a distant sort of pride in reading about Ruy; he was aware that this was his son, but he’d never seen him act the way these writers said he did. He couldn’t even imagine it. 

There was one photo, on the front of some music magazine, that came out right after that first conducting job. Rodrigo, barely nineteen years old, staring straight at the camera, head held high with bright, clear eyes and the slightest hint of a smile—here was a young man ready to take on the world and all it had to offer.

Héctor kept that one. After the accident, _that_ had been the Rodrigo he wanted to remember. Not the last one he’d seen.

_“You’ve been disrespectful before but_ this, _Rodrigo? This is the last straw._ Out.”

_“Oh, no, looks like the problem child didn’t live up to your expectations_ again. _Sorry, Papi._ ”

_“Your mother and I have been_ nothing _but patient with you, and this is how you repay us? Ruining one of the few times we can be together as a family? Are you really_ that _much of an ungrateful mocoso? I keep thinking I can’t be more disappointed in you but you_ keep. surprising. me. _”_

_“Maybe if this family were more than an ego stroke to you, it’d be worth caring about.”_

_“_ What?”

_“Tío Héctor, what a family man! Tío Héctor, what a good father! The whole_ world _thinks you’re this great papá because that’s what you_ tell _people to think! You’re really just a selfish, self-absorbed cabrón with a brood of_ bootlickers! _But what a family man, eh?”_

“Get. Out. Of. My. House.”

_“Don’t like hearing the truth? Sorry, Papi, but your youngest son’s the only one—”_

_“You are_ NOT _my son. Now get._ OUT.”

“… _Papá?”_

Héctor rubbed his eyes, as if it could push away the image of his grown son cringing back like a scared child, brown eyes wide and frightened, cheek still red from the hard slap. That was the last he’d seen of Rodrigo before today.

_Dios_ , he’d never wanted it to end like this. He should have…

“Héctor?”

Héctor turned, swallowing as Imelda, swathed in black, entered the room. She glanced at the open coffin, then up to him before her face softened.

“You don’t want to close it.”

Héctor tried to say that he would manage, that he had to do it and he would. But the moment Imelda’s hands rested on his face, he shook his head.

“I don’t want to leave him like this,” he whispered, voice cracking. “I should have talked to him. I should have tried harder.”

“But would he have listened?” Imelda asked gently. “We did the best we could with Ruy. We both know that.” As Héctor opened his eyes to look at her, he caught a glimmer of tears in hers as well. “He wouldn’t have changed. No matter what he did, he would still be the way he i—was.” She stroked his cheek. “But he’s home now. He’s here with his family. This is the most we’re able to do for him, mi vida.”

Héctor swallowed and nodded. She was right. There was no way to go back, no way to fix whatever had broken their boy. For now, all they could do was tuck him in one last time.

He took a deep breath as he broke away from Imelda and went back to the coffin. He raised his hands to the lid, pausing to get one last look at his youngest son—well, the still, quiet shell that was left of his son. A small hand rested over his own, and Imelda whispered, “It’s time to let him go, Héctor.”

He took a long breath, then nodded. Both hands brought down the lid, and with a little click, Rodrigo was sealed away—leaving Héctor with nothing but bittersweet memories and endless questions about who his son could have been.

28th

**Anonymous** asked:

Hey, in the Villain!AU, how ddi Miguel get to Héctor? Did he and Ernesto play at a contest? Only Miguel, only Ernesto? Or did they do something completely different?

The beginning of the night was pretty different in the villain!au.

When Miguel ran off that night he went to go sulk at the family mausoleum, which is essentially a bigger version of Ernesto’s crypt, but with Hector and Imelda and several other family members in it. He ended up breaking in and stealing the skull guitar, hoping that the guitar would bring him luck in his travels as a musician (having a twelve-year-old idea of being able to run off and start performing) but got cursed into the realm of the dead once he hit the strings.

At about that time Hector and Imelda were at the Rivera’s home and found the family frantically searching for Miguel. Concerned for their grandson, Hector ordered Dante to track down Miguel and bring him home to his family, knowing that the dog would be able to find Miguel whether he was alive, or (heaven forbid) dead, and be able to get him safely to whichever Rivera home would be the most appropriate.

It took Dante a while to find Miguel, who was hiding terrified in the cemetery a lot longer than in canon, but Miguel was relieved to see his friend, even if he was now a lot more colorful than he remembered. Dante was confused at what to do with a not-quite-dead-Miguel, but decided that the dead Riveras would know how best to deal with the situation, so he started tugging at Miguel’s sleeve. Miguel figured that Dante knew where they were going, especially since he seemed to be connected to the spirit world, what with his wings and glowing colors and all. Once Miguel realized he was in the realm of the dead he became determined to find Papa Hector, who was always his idol, convinced that he would be able to get him home somehow.

Miguel tried to keep a low profile as he crossed the bridge into the land of the dead by keeping his hood up and managed to sneak past customs in a crowd, but panicked when people started spotting him and trying to catch him. He ducked into an alleyway that happened to be near the Department of Family Reunions and slammed into a man that had just come from the police department, having been nearly arrested for getting in a fight with a crossing agent.

This was Ernesto, and Ernesto caught Miguel’s arm before he could slip away, as surprised as anyone at having found a living boy. Even though Dante was growling, Miguel spilled his story and asked if Ernesto would be able to help him get to his great great grandfather, Hector Rivera. Ernesto saw it as his last chance to get his picture put on an ofrenda in the land of the living, to maybe get someone to remember him again before it was too late. So even though he hated the Rivera family with every bone in his body, he put on a smile and promised Miguel he’d help him find his family, as long as he’d take his picture back in return.

Ernesto was counting on using Miguel’s living status to get them through Rivera security, meaning that he didn’t waste time with a talent show, but as they trekked across the city, riding the complex system of trolley cars that Dante would have had trouble navigating with Miguel, Ernesto’s good mood started to slip as Miguel went on and on about how great and successful Hector was.

Eventually, Ernesto had had enough and he started telling Miguel a little bit about who his grandfather “really” was, and that they’d played together before Hector had left him to be forgotten after his death. It was hard news for Miguel to hear and he was getting understandably uncomfortable around Ernesto, so he ditched him as soon as their trolly pulled into the station.

Dante got Miguel the rest of the way to the family mansion on his own, and as soon as Miguel told security who he was he was taken straight to Hector. Ernesto had to find his own way in several hours later through an unattended back door.

28th

**Anonymous** asked:

(not a demand more like a fantasy) I'd love to see Hector flying on Pepita and for him to see Rodrigo saying something to Miguel and for him to be like "sh*t he's being corrupted" and just as he's about to tell Pepita to land,Rodrigo moves out of the way and he sees the biggest smile on Miguel's face since he died and when he walks up to them Miguel's smile fades away out of trama? fear? And for Miguel to look dead inside and for Hector to look like he just watched him die all over again bc ouch

Awwwwww… :,(

Good headcanoning Anon, excellent feels!

28th

[**catflowerqueen**](http://catflowerqueen.tumblr.com/) asked:

So in the most recent Villain!Au update... is Miguel's "new" jacket the same one he died in, or does it just happen to look suspiciously similar?

Miguel sure seems to think it’s the same one!

The second-hand clothing industry in the Land of the Dead is a lively back-and-forth trade since people arrive all the time in clothing they don’t want anymore, not to mention wanting some variety after wearing the same outfit for months or even years. Brand new clothes can be a little pricey since cloth is a finite resource in the land of the dead, so most people opt for outfits of well cared for second hand clothing.

Hector and Imelda got rid of Miguel’s living clothes very soon after he died, but since things are rarely truly thrown away in the land of the dead (every item being upcycled/recycled/reused as many times as possible) his original jeans and hoodie did make their way into the second-hand system.

It’s been twenty years, but who knows? Maybe Miguel’s original hoodie was lucky enough to have been through a couple other young owners who were gentle with it. Maybe it really is the same hoodie that he disappeared in.

Either way, it seems that it’s giving him some much-needed emotionally anchoring connection to who he was before his death, a source of reassurance and mental stability.

28th

**Anonymous** asked:

I feel like Imelda's the real terrifying one in villain!au. Always ready with a method of gaslighting those around her, always ready to yank their strings back into place. Hector isn't a saint either but she's terrifying.

Imelda seems to always have a firm hold on any situation, but it’s important to note that the most difficult part to control in her life is none other than her own husband.

He is one of the few things she would not be willing to utterly destroy in order to maintain absolute control.


	5. June 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All tumblr posts and asks published during June 2018 in chronological order.

1st

[**unadulteratedstarlightturtle**](https://unadulteratedstarlightturtle.tumblr.com/) asked:

How does Miguel react to "Remember Me" as it's the song he died to? I picture him becoming catatonic or shutting down.

Since in villain!au Ernesto died before killing Héctor, “Remember Me” was never bastardized into a campy pop song by Ernesto. It stayed within the Rivera family as a private lullaby that was passed down as a beloved family song. Miguel grew up hearing Enrique and Luisa singing it to him at night as a child.

Because Miguel already had a strong emotional history with the song, instead of his death ruining the song for him or it becoming a negative trigger, it actually did (in a very subconscious way) work as the calming influence Héctor wanted while Miguel’s panicked brain was shutting down in death.

Héctor is used to using it as a lullaby for his children, grand children, great and now great-great-grandchildren, meaning that Miguel has heard it countless times during his recovery from death and in the years after. He doesn’t associate the song with his death, it’s just a strong part of the Rivera family culture that represents parental care, protection and love.

If you see deep irony in that, well, yeah. That’s because it’s there in spades.

[villain!au](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/villain%21au) [coco](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/coco) [remember me](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/remember-me) [excellent question](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/excellent-question)[i always forget I’ve filled this au with Easter eggs and background trivia and it’s fun when you guys unlock it](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/i-always-forget-I%E2%80%99ve-filled-this-au-with-Easter-eggs-and-background-trivia-and-it%E2%80%99s-fun-when-you-guys-unlock-it)

12th

**Anonymous** asked:

Does Hector relationships with his other children change in Nonvillain Aus?

They do somewhat.

**Coco:** still has the pressure of being the oldest child, but she doesn’t have to be a third parent to her siblings as much as in villain!au. Her parents are not nearly as caught up in Hector’s career (or a secret life of crime) which allows them to be much more present as parents for all their children. Coco also doesn't have the pressure of being a secret keeper of her parent’s murders which helps her be a little softer and more carefree. Hector still isn’t quite as doting as he is in canon since she’s not the only child, but they have a very warm and loving relationship.

**Leti:** still dies of cancer at a young age, and in AU’s like Cecilia de Verde the Rivera family doesn’t have the limitless monetary resources to keep her alive as long as they do in villain!au, meaning she dies as a child instead of as a teenager. In the PATF AU they receive help from their friends in the maldonian monarchy that helps keep her alive a while longer with international medicine, but she still dies young. She is of course very loved by her family and Hector takes it very hard when she dies.

**Matty:** Is closer to his mother than his father and ends up taking up the family shoe business over from Imelda when he gets older, but still has a loving relationship with his father.

**Hector Jr.:** Actually ends up being named Victor in other AU’s instead of Hector II since his father is not as obsessed with perpetuating his legacy. Coco likes the name and years later names her daughter the feminine version, Victoria. Hector II/Victor is a lot more chill outside of villain!au, he can still a little bit of a jerk, but he’s not malicious, just stoic and calculating. He and Rodrigo still butt heads as kids, but end up falling into a brotherly hot and cold dynamic as adults. (The same dynamic that their sobrinas hot-headed Elena and cool-tempered Victoria later have a generation later.)

Victor gets along with his papa, even if Hector usually has no idea what exactly it is that Victor’s into these days. (Mathematics and science that he gets very into at university, he still bonds with his Tio Oscar y Felipe, but on a more friendly experimental level instead of just business.)

11th

**Anonymous** asked:

In Aus where Hector did not die or become a serial killer, do him and rodrigo have a better relationship or do they still fight a lot?

Both!

Rodrigo has a much better time in literally every other au than villain!au, mostly because a) his parents aren’t serial killers and b) non-villain Hector is the very best dad that he can possibly be for all his kids.

Rodrigo is always the youngest (and unexpected) child, and he’s always a rebellious teenager who argues _constantly_ with his father, but it’s really because they’re so alike and Rodrigo is incredibly attention needy.

It drives non-villain Hector crazy that he can’t easily connect with his youngest son, but it’s really not that worse than countless other well-meaning fathers butting heads with their strongwilled hormonal sons who know how to push their buttons.

Hector is constantly trying to reach out to his son, even when he gets shoved away, and that persistent love in Rodrigo’s life keeps him from ever turning to wild partying or substance abuse like he does in villain!au where he’s expressly rejected and told that he’s a threat and disappointment to the family.

Rodrigo still steals a horse in every au, but non-villain Hector takes the time to understand why it means so much to Rodrigo and generally ends up buying the horse for him to keep. (Without Imelda knowing, it’s too good of an opportunity for father-son bonding for Hector to pass up.)

In non-villain au’s Rodrigo ends up leveling out at around seventeen/eighteen when he starts to realize that his Papa is suddenly pretty cool, and especially that he knows a lot about courting women that are way out of his league.

While villain!Rodrigo is too damaged to be in a romantic relationship or get married, in other AU’s he and Hector bond over making wooing plans so that he can court his future wife Iria into 1) giving him the time of day and 2) marrying him and being his very own diosa forever. (or something along those lines.)

So yes, Hector and Rodrigo have a rocky relationship, but it is fundamentally better and only lasts for a few years while Rodrigo is a teen. They both have a much better time overall when no one is killed in their universes.

12th

[**slusheeduck**](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/) asked:

*peer-pressures you into a Ruy/Iria (IRuya?) ficlet because it's FUN and SOUL-HEALING*

Okay everybody, so this completely backfired in both of our faces but here’s the soul-rending “Ruia” aftermath for your enjoyment.

_[Regrettably, the following takes place in villain!au.]_

**New York, 1948***

“Hey, don’t say that.”

“What?” Rodrigo smirked, idly letting the glass rim of his bottle tap against his teeth as he looked out over the New York skyline. “That my gala suit already looks dated? It’s true.”

Iria looked up at him from where she was resting her head on his lap, a bottle of her own beside her. Rodrigo looked down at her stern hazel eyes, the kind of color that a cello would play.

“No, the part about you being worthless.” Iria said, her voice serious and gentle like only her voice could be. “Don’t say things that aren’t true.”

“Iriaaaaaa, I was just joking.” Rodrigo lied, moving as she sat up and shifted to sit beside him where he was leaning against a rooftop heating vent.

“No, you weren’t.” Iria said matter of factly, resting her head against his shoulder and lacing her fingers through his. “You’re the only one that rips yourself up like that, you have to stop.”

“Hey, be your own worst critic right?” Rodrigo said, he tried to chuckle but it didn’t quite come. “You know, I still don’t understand how you manage to become even more beautiful after dark.”

“Don’t change the subject.” Iria said. “You aren’t worthless.”

“Of course not, I’m talented, brilliant, _niño prodigio_.” Rodrigo said, practically tasting the newspaper ink in his mouth as he recited the words, “How could I ever forget what it means to be _Rodrigo Rivera_?”

“I’m not talking about _Rodrigo Rivera_ ,” Iria said, “I’m talking about you, Ruy. You’re worth a whole lot.”

Rodrigo was glad she couldn’t see the pain on his face. The feeling inside him was something with vibrato, something with broken, low melodies that woven together into a kind of unbearable crescendo.

Something difficult and complicated and painful.

Something he didn’t want to listen to.

“Is there anything that I can do for you tonight, _estrella_?” Rodrigo asked, turning his head to rest on hers.

“Tell me what you like the most about yourself.” Iria said, he could hear the mischievous smile in her voice as she effortlessly parried his distraction.

“That I managed to catch your attention.” he said without hesitation, setting his bottle aside. “Is it my turn to ask questions?”

“Only if you don’t talk yourself down anymore.” Iria said, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

“Awww, en serio? I’m my own best punchline.” Rodrigo said.

“Then you’ll just have to stop hitting yourself.” Iria said. She pulled back so she was face to face with him, making him meet her gaze. “Do you promise?”

Rodrigo could barely remember what she’d just said with her this close. Her pull was irresistible, but he sensed that he wasn’t allowed to kiss her until he agreed.

“No more jokes about myself.” He said, smiling as he leaned forward slightly.

“Good.” Iria said, the word breathing against his lips as their mouths met.

Kissing Iria was effortless, beautiful, gentle. She gave more than she took and it was all Rodrigo could ever do to not keep taking and taking, to lose himself completely in her gentle confidence.

Especially now that he was becoming more and more convinced that he didn’t deserve it.

He tried to push the thought away as he cradled the back of her head and her hands rested on his chest, as he inhaled the gentle scent of her citrus perfume and tasted the cheap wine on her lips.

The nagging knowledge that he could never be enough for her had been eating at him for days now, he knew he would ruin things. He always did.

But for now, for just this moment, he had to believe that it would never end.

**The Land of the Dead, 2004 (written by @slusheeduck )**

_Knock knock knock._

Ruy whined to himself as the knocks seemed to slam right into his skull–first because _owww,_ noise bad, second because, as a general rule, people who knocked instead of letting themselves in were people he _did not want to talk to._

_Knock knock knock._

He groaned, turning over to bury his face in Caprice’s side. She huffed and nudged at his head with her snout. He waved her away with a grimace.

“Not nooow. Be a good alebrije and scare them off, okay?”

She huffed again, this time getting to her feet and letting Ruy fall to the floor with a yelp. He sat up, giving her a wounded look.

“Some spirit guide you are,” he said as she contently trotted off. “Pepita would never do this, you know!”

_Knock knock knock._

He rubbed his face with a groan. His visitor clearly wasn’t getting the message. Probably one of _la familia_. Hopefully it was Coco. He pulled himself up with a little groan, running his bony fingers through his hair to smooth it down and straightening his wrinkled shirt. He gave himself a little shake, then made his way to the door and opened it.

“What d’you want?” he mumbled irritably. His sour mood, however, lightened as he saw the put-together elderly woman standing on his welcome mat, gold and orange markings standing out brightly against her skull. He caught her just as she was wiggling her fingers experimentally; didn’t look like one of the family. He leaned in the doorway, hands in his pockets. “You, uh, you lost, doña?”

She looked up in surprise, hazel eyes wide. “Sorry. I’m…looking for Rodrigo Rivera?”

He glanced over her shoulder, looking for any potential family members using a poor woman as bait. When he didn’t see anyone, he gave her a lazy smile. “You found him.”

She looked over him curiously; something in her look was so familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. She tucked an escaped curl back into her chignon, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I don’t expect you to remember me. It’s been so long.”

He frowned. The eyes, the hair, the way she looked at him…he sucked in a sharp breath as it hit him.

“Iria?”

Her mouth tilted upwards, though she let out a little cry of surprise as he threw his arms around her, lifting her up and whirling her around.

“ _Iritititita_! _Ave_ María _Pur-ís-ma_ , I never thought I’d see you here!” He cupped her face, a wide smile splitting his face. “Dios mio, you’re so _old_! Did you just die?”

“About a year ago.”

“And it took you this long to visit me? I am _wounded_ , Rita.”

She laughed, pushing his hands away. “There’s a lot of paperwork to come visit this side, you know. Our section’s completely different.”

“Then you should have sent me a message of some sort. I wander your way all the time.” He wrapped an arm around her and brought her inside. “Come in, come in. It’s, like, four, right? Let me get you a drink.”

“Actually, I don’t drink anymore,” she said, glancing around the flat and obviously doing her best to keep from judging. “So I…” She looked up to catch Ruy looking at her, eyes wide as he was already handing a glass to her. She sighed and half-smiled as she took it. “Just this _one_ , okay?”

“Por supuesto.” He grabbed his own glass and the half-full bottle of whiskey, then nodded upward. “Let’s head up, hm? It’s just like the old penthouse roof up at the top, and we can look out at everyone. It’s a treat for people-watchers like us.”

~

“So you married a _duke_?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Is he nice? Do I have to come over and make sure he’s treating you right?”

Iria tossed her head back with a laugh, now-loosed curls glinting silver in the light. “ _No_ , Ruy! Esteban is a perfectly wonderful husband.”

Rodrigo half-smiled as he rested a cheekbone against his hand, absently swirling the ice in his empty cup. “Better than a crazy conductor could’ve been, hm?”

Iria looked up at him, smile fading. “Ruy…”

“Nah, nah, don’t worry about it, Rita, I’m just teasing.” He grabbed the bottle and refilled his drink.

“Careful with that.”

“I’m dead, it can’t hurt me. Sin hígado, sin problema.” He took a long drink before looking back at her. “So Esteban. Tell me about him.”

Iria tugged at a curl. If she’d had lips, she would have bitten the lower one—he remembered that. “Why don’t you tell me about what you’ve been up to?”

He laughed, the sound a touch bitter. “Same as when you knew me before. Hate my family. Make lots of music. Throw the best parties around.” He tilted his glass with a wry smile. “Thank God that my living fans know exactly what to offer me.”

Iria’s browbone furrowed. “You really haven’t changed,” she murmured. He grimaced as he caught the disappointment in her voice, and he quickly downed the rest of his drink. “Ruy, I…”

“Leeet’s talk about happier times, huh? Remember when we took a joyride in a horsedrawn carriage in New York? And how the Maldonian embassy thought I was abducting you with that stunt?”

“Ruy…”

“Or! Or-or when I snuck us into the Met in the middle of the night, and you gave me the most amazing concert with just your ukulele! Remember that? _Dios_ , we had fun together, didn’t we?”

Better to focus on those parts. Better to remember the outrageous things they did than the quiet nights together, than bright hazel eyes and understanding smiles and finding the most beautiful symphony in her heartbeat. Better than…

Bony hands cupped his face, and he instinctively leaned into the touch, swallowing hard as he shut his eyes. Iria’s thumb scraped lightly against his cheek, and he couldn’t bear to open his eyes. She pitied him. She’d told him so the last time they’d spoken, just before she left. He didn’t want to see that right now.

“You’re so _young_.”

He peeked his eyes open at that. There was no pity in her expression, just…something _sad_. It wasn’t new. Before, he used to kiss away that look, distracting her with declarations of love and tapping out bars of music against her cheek in time with her laughs. He couldn’t do that now.

“I’m sorry.” He pushed past her hands, moving closer. Her breath caught, only to release as he buried his face against her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I wish I could have been better for you.”

“You could have been,” she murmured, though she softened the words by stroking his hair. “You just…all you had to do was _try_ , Ruy.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

She didn’t reply, and Ruy silently curled tighter to her. He’d ruined this all those years ago, he knew. And she’d always deserved better than what he could have possibly given her. He swallowed.

“Esteban. He’s good to you?”

“You already asked that.”

“I want to know. If he takes you for granted I’ll go over and kill him again.”

“Don’t be dramatic, Ruy.”

“I’m not being dramatic.”

She sighed, running her fingers through his hair. “He’s kind. And clever. He loves our daughter immensely–”

“You had a kid?” His voice broke at the question. He wasn’t sure why; he’d never wanted kids after the nightmare he’d grown up in. But the thought of Iria living a whole, full life without him…

“Mm. About three years after you died. Named her Luzia, after Vovó.” She hesitated, hand stilling. “He would have been fine naming a son after you. I think that’s when I realized he really did love me.”

“And you? Do you love him?”

Iria was silent again, though her hand started carding through his hair once more. “Yes. It’s different than what we had, but I do.”

Ruy pressed his face harder against her shoulder. That was good. He knew it was good that she found someone she loved. And yet…

“Te amo,” he whispered. “I never stopped. Not even when you left.”

Iria let out a slow breath. “I know you didn’t.” She lifted his head, making him look at her. “I didn’t stop, either. But it would have destroyed us if I stayed,” she added, with all the matter-of-factness that came from a completed life.

He set a hand over hers, fingertips lightly running over the slightly wizened bones, then looked up at her. “Come visit me again? Next time I won’t drink.”

She gave a wry smile and shook her head. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Ruy,” she said, a touch bitterly. He started to cringe back, but stopped as she cupped his face again. This time, she left a soft kiss on his forehead. “I still think you can be better. You just have to find a reason to. I wasn’t enough, but something will be, I know it.”

He looked up at her with soft eyes as she got to her feet. She took a look out at the city below. “This place suits you,” she said. “Much more than New York did.” She gave him a small smile. “But if you get lonely, you’re welcome to come visit me, too.”

He smiled a bit, swaying a bit as he got to his feet. “And Esteban?”

“Esteban will be thrilled to meet the famous Rodrigo Rivera.”

“Well, I can’t say no to that kind of ego-stroke from a man with such good taste.”

**—————————–**

*Rodrigo dies in 1951

In any other au Rodrigo and Iria end up happily married by some way or another, (Iria’s royal status shifts depending on the universe) but in villain!au Rodrigo just has too much emotional baggage to pull himself together in time to end up with the beautifully perfect international diplomat he met in New York.

The girl with eyes the color of cello music, the woman who wanted him to help him become the man he could have been.

12th

[**agent-numbuh-227**](https://agent-numbuh-227.tumblr.com/) asked:

So what's the back story of Ruy's horse, Caprese?

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/174838444164/so-whats-the-back-story-of-ruys-horse-caprese) answered:

Caprice is a horse that Rodrigo sees at a nearby property that is ill-treated by her owner. He ends up befriending her over the fence and eventually stealing her outright to try and give her a better life. 

In villain!au this ends badly and the horse is taken back to its legal owner, but in most other au’s Hector hears out Rodrigo’s tearful explanation of why he _stole a horse_ and ends up buying the horse for Rodrigo as a father-son bonding moment. She is a treasured member of the family and treated well her whole life.

In every au Caprice becomes Rodrigo’s alebrije in the Land of the Dead. In villain!au her company is the only thing that keeps Rodrigo anchored to reality at all, taking care of her day to day is what keeps him from going over the edge completely. (Even though they both know that she’s really the one that takes care of him.)

[**galemalio**](http://galemalio.tumblr.com/post/174838829256)

No I’m imagining that Ruy giving carrots or apples or even sugar cubes over the fence for Caprice. Did Ruy named her Caprice or did he find out on his own?

[**slusheeduck**](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/174839637423)

He named her. Her old owner’s name for her was “horse” or, in special cases, “stupid horse.”

As for why she’s named Caprice, the definition of a caprice is “a piece of [music](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMusic&t=M2UwNjI3Njk5MTljNWM0YjM1ZjBhMmQzM2JhYzBlZWUwZTZkZjZmOSxTbWZCYzdCYg%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F174839708129%2Fso-whats-the-back-story-of-ruys-horse-caprese&m=1), usually fairly free in form and of a lively character. The typical capriccio/caprice is one that is fast, intense, and often [virtuosic](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FVirtuoso&t=ZGFlNjI0MDMwZDY5MDIzMGMzNjUwMWYyYjczNWNiNTczMGI2OWRkYixTbWZCYzdCYg%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F174839708129%2Fso-whats-the-back-story-of-ruys-horse-caprese&m=1) in nature.”

He was inspired when she trotted up to him after a few weeks of giving her treats and petting her muzzle, looking the liveliest he’d seen her, and she had personality for _days._ So shortly after she became Caprice, and shortly after that, she was in the Rivera house while a teary, teenage Ruy explained to his papa _why_ he’d needed to steal this horse.

12th

[**libraryadia**](https://libraryadia.tumblr.com/) asked:

How would Villain AU!Rodrigo react to the Teacher AU and canon version of his parents? And them to him?

It’s an extremely bittersweet experience for everyone.

\- Canon Imector is heartbroken not only to be shown a child they should have had if Hector hadn’t died, but to see him so badly broken.

\- Teacher Imector has trouble grasping the concept of meeting a future child of “theirs,” (especially since he’s about their age) but once they get over the initial shock they’re also horrified to see that even an alternate version of themselves could have failed so badly as parents.

\- Rodrigo has his normal emotional defense swagger on and is automatically defensive around anyone who looks that much like his parents, but it’s _killing him_ how genuinely concerned and loving they all are.

\- Canon Imelda tuts over his fashion sense, but in a nice motherly way instead of a “you are a disappointment to this family” way.

“You dress like a rainbow threw up on a farmer.“

"You’re too kind, Mama."

"And what’s this silly braid?"

"One of my friends did it."

*Imelda tickles his cheek with it.* "You see? Silly. You should cut it off."

"No, Mama."

*long-suffering sigh* ” _Fine_. But when you can’t find a wife because of your silly braid, don’t cry to me about it.“

Canon Hector: _(I think your braid is cool, mijo. Don’t listen to her)_

Ruy cries

\- Teacher Hector immediately takes him under his wing in a sort of “dad-friend” role (since they’re the same age). Not only was he in college not too long ago and has experience helping self-destructive friends, but he also shares the experience of having awful/absent parents.

Ruy: *pours tequila over cereal*

Teacher: *pulls bowl away* Okay, that? We’re not doing that anymore.

\- Canon Hector can’t handle it when Rodrigo tells him about [Iria](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/174837920974/peer-pressures-you-into-a-ruyiria-iruya), it’s his worst nightmare brought to life in the son he never had, Teacher Hector feels like he’s being told his own story of when he dated Imelda the first time. Both Imeldas are overcome with the intense need to mother this poor boy.

\- Both Hectors freely tell Ruy how they messed up with Imelda and he is _floored_ at the thought of 1) his parents not being grossly in love and 2) his (sort of) father acknowledging that things weren’t fine and that he is capable of making mistakes.

\- Rodrigo tries his hardest to keep himself together, but it’s really all too much for him. His century-old emotional defenses and walls aren’t built for this and crumble away at an alarming rate as his not-but-could-have-been parents shower him with an insane amount of parenting. He ends up pulling himself together for a last flippantly good-natured one-liner and then makes his exit.

As soon as he’s back home he collapses against Caprice and just stares at a wall for hours and hours and hours.

He’s so overwhelmed that he even forgets to drink.

12th

**Anonymous** asked:

Honestly I'm concerned about villain Ruy and non-murder Ruy meeting. I think the former might try to choke the latter out of jealousy

Imagine being trapped mentally and physically in the worst years of your life, being riddled with addiction bourne of self-loathing, of having no real emotional familial support to speak of, and spending every single day of your afterlife aggressively hiding yourself away from your perceived failures under layers and layers of alcohol and social interaction.

And then imagine meeting a version of yourself that is alive, that is happy, healthy, loved, supported, who changed themselves when you didn't and who has friends and family and the woman that you loved and still love so desperately and _they did it._

That’s not jealousy my friend. That is the kind of awe that brings you to devastating tears. That is the feeling of confirmed loss that you never recover from. That is the kind of joy-by-association that you cling to for centuries to come because _at least the other me did it._

And for the Rodrigo who has it all, it is a bone-chilling reminder of what he could have been if he hadn’t taken the harder path, a reminder of how blessed he’s been and what he has to be grateful for.

Rodrigos will never meet across AUs. It would be too damaging for all of them.

13th

[**agent-numbuh-227**](https://agent-numbuh-227.tumblr.com/) asked:

I really liked Caprice's back story. You know I can't help but imagine that scene in 'The Hunchback of Notre Dane' where Phoebus's horse sits on someone on his command but with Ruy and Caprice. She's part bird as an alebrije, correct?

She is part cockatoo! Her front legs are scaled like bird legs and instead of a mane or ears she has a large feathered crest that responds to her emotions. Her tail is made of glowing horsehair that Rodrigo uses in the bows for his violin and cello and it looks pretty sweet. She’s covered in downy feathers that glow like all alebrijes do.

If you ask why she doesn’t have wings, Rodrigo will defensively ask why _you_ don’t have wings.

And yes she certainly has the ability to sit on people, but Rodrigo’s the only one that gets sat on. He usually deserves it.

[caprice](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/caprice) [alebrije](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/alebrije) [oc](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/oc) [rodrigo](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/rodrigo) [my art](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/my-art) [wit art](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/wit-art) [Ruy](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/ruy)[caprice is the closest thing Ruy has to a mom and she takes the rearing of her troublemaking foal very seriously](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/caprice-is-the-closest-thing-ruy-has-to-a-mom-and-she-takes-the-rearing-of-her-troublemaking-foal-very-seriously)

13th

[**scribblrhob**](https://scribblrhob.tumblr.com/) asked:

You know how Ernesto, although terrible,has a few funny and goofy traits in his character that makes you sympathize with him such as the fact that he fangirls fireworks and owns three chihuahua puppies? That got me wondering, does Villain!Héctor still have some of the goofy traits that we’d recognize from the original Héctor that reminds us that he is, after all, Héctor? If so, which ones? Hope I’m being clear on the question XD

\- Hector has tamed hair whenever he appears in public because he is a Serious Public Figure, but he still wakes up every morning with-out of-control floof. Imelda’s the main reason that it’s tamed every day before he’s up and about.

\- He loves having one-on-one outings with his descendants, getting to know them and spending time with them personally whenever he can. It’s this kind of family time that keeps him going and recharges him.

\- He still loves music and is far better at playing/composing/performing it after a hundred years of constant practice.

\- He _loves_ performing with family, nothing else brings him that kind of electric joy and it brings out his playful side like nothing else does.

\- Hector is constantly treating Imelda to everything he can think of, whether it be a new dress he’s noticed her eyeing, or tickets to her favorite show, or even a quiet night together when he notices that she’s starting to wear herself out.

\- He still likes chapulines. Even though they are quite rare in the land of the dead, he was well known enough for liking them in life that he always has offrenda offerings of them every year.

\- He still has a little bit of his quick-talking charm from his childhood, although he rarely needs to use it in his life as a successful celebrity. Every now and then the sideways smile and wheedling tone still comes out though, generally when he’s trying to convince Imelda of something or when she’s not around to leverage some PR issue for him and he’s desperate.

13th

[**aleja09isthebest**](http://aleja09isthebest.tumblr.com/) asked:

If Hector and imelda did not kill anyone but still became famous (evil au but without the murders), were would they be in the parenting scale? Like how much of their bad parenting is because theyre busy and how much is because they hardened themselves to kill

That’s actually a very interesting question!

Part of the difficulty with that scenario is that killing Ernesto is actually a huge reason for Hector going on to pursue his career in music and acting.

Ernesto’s death is more easily justified when Imelda and Hector have something impressive to show for it. It’s a situation of _“See? I had to live so that I could be successful for my family and the world, so I could make all this money to be able to help everyone around me. That’s why you had to die instead of me.”_

If they had just stayed in Santa Cecilia their whole lives and never done anything particularly important there would have been this nagging feeling of “what would Ernesto be doing right now if he were alive?” But instead Imelda and Hector pushed all their energy and thought into seriously pursuing the fame that Hector and Ernesto had been working for when everything went south.

Outside of villain AU Hector and Imelda don’t have a real reason to try and gain fame and glory. After all, that was really Ernesto’s dream in the first place, not theirs.

The other reality is that Hector and Imelda _can’t_ balance a family with that kind of fame and wealth, _especially_ not a family of five children.

Maybe another couple could have done it, but Imelda’s personality lends itself to hyperfixation. She gets extremely wrapped up in her business pursuits, but also needs to feel like she is doing a good job parentally controlling her children’s lives. In canon this manifests in her single parent habits turning somewhat overbearing when she has time to look away from her shoes.

With Hector’s career to manage instead of a shoe shop however, she not only has waaaay more business to worry about with managing scheduling and PR and events and a host of other things, but she now had _five_ children to split her remaining energy between, one of whom is slowly dying of cancer for several years who automatically gets most of her attention.

Imelda isn't about to let Hector’s career suffer when the going gets tough, not after _killing a man_ to get it, so Coco as the eldest gets enlisted as a very busy second mother to her three younger brothers while Leti is ill.

Hector is a loving man, but he’s also very easily directed by those he trusts, ie Imelda, meaning that his attention is also largely diverted to working hard on his career for her and the family’s sake and then caring for his dying daughter.

This arrangement is difficult but survivable for Coco (who is proud to be trusted by her parents), Matty (who spends a good chunk of his time with and helping his twin sister anyway), and Hector Jr. (who has the emotional needs of a houseplant and keeps himself busy with his own projects).

But this does not work well at all for the youngest son. A little boy who isn't quite old enough to recognize why his Mama and Papa don’t have time for him, who is extremely energetic and vibrant and loud and craves love and attention. Little Rodrigo who starts becoming more demanding and desperate for attention as he gets older, who hits his teenage hormones right when Leti is in the final stages of her cancer.

The timing is all wrong for Rodrigo, who hits the worst parts of the family’s history at all the wrong times. (He was actually a surprise child. Hector and Imelda had wanted to stop after Hector Jr since they could tell they were being stretched thin between Hector’s career and Leti’s illness, but Rodrigo was born a couple years afterward anyway.)

And this is before you factor in the emotional numbing effect of murder in Imelda and Hector’s personalities. Hector especially has a special obsession with having to have a good image, of protecting the family from anything that threatens it, even if it is from the inside. They are both used to pushing away and silencing inconveniences one way or another. Hector’s patience with a disrespectful and flippant teenage son is already extremely low just from that, add to it the stress of a career and a dying daughter and you get disaster.

Some people can balance careers and parenting better than others, but anyone who’s ever really made it big will tell you that you cannot truly “have it all.” There are always choices and sacrifices to be made.

Unfortunately, in au’s where Hector gains international fame and fortune, Ruy ends up being one of those sacrifices.

16th

**Anonymous** asked:

I love how Ruy still called Canon!Imelda Mama in the little crossover meet-and-greet.

Ruy is a fundamentally good person and he respects his mother, especially when she’s an alternate universe one that seems to really love him. 

16th

**Anonymous** asked:

What is Villain!AU Imelda's relationship with her children like?

Loving, but with high expectations and often busy.

Since she’s very busy with managing Hector’s musical career she relies a lot on Coco to run things around the house and take care of the rest of the siblings.

She’s spent a lot of time with the twins during Leti’s illness and is probably emotionally the closest with Matty out of all her children because of that.

Hector Jr. tests her patience sometimes but he’s the best at picking up on her plans and business intentions which makes him easy to communicate with for her even if he is often callous towards others.

Rodrigo has given her the most trouble and she wishes that he’d turned out better, but she’s found the only thing she can do is let him run his own course and try not to get too emotionally distressed over his endless bad choices. It tears her apart to see her son and husband fight, but she’s learned that they’re both too hot-headed and stubborn for her to try and enforce any kind of peace between them. She still loves Rodrigo dearly, but she is so tired of trying to fix him that she’s just had to let him go and do his own thing. When they do see each other she’s always sure to let him know that she does love him.

16th

[**ynkaliko**](https://ynkaliko.tumblr.com/) asked:

How did Rodrigo meet Iria? (Tiana and Naveen's kid with Hectòr's and Imelda's youngest child)

In the PATF x Coco crossover universe the Riveras are fast friends with the Maldonian royal family after the parent’s adventure together several years ago. Rodrigo and Iria are very close childhood friends, when they hit their teen years Ruy realizes that she’s basically perfect and begins to despair over being good enough to convince her to marry him.

In other universes (villain, Cecilia de Verde, ect.) Rodrigo meets a young foreign diplomat while he’s living in New York when they end up traveling in the same social circles.

Rodrigo is friends with everyone, Iria is no exception, but there’s just something especially wonderful about her that convinces him that he maybe couldn’t live without her. Iria thinks that Ruy’s ridiculous, but also that he is incredibly sweet and charming. Especially when he starts to say the most adorably poetic things about her in the Spanish he doesn’t think she understands, (she does, as a diplomat she speaks several languages fluently) and she just can’t help spending more and more time with the beautiful disaster that is absolutely determined to court her.

In _all_ universes it’s when they sneak into an empty Carnegie hall in the middle of the night, and Iria gets up on the empty stage to play her ukelele and sing for him, that Ruy is absolutely convinced he desperately needs her and only her for the rest of his life.

In _most_ universes he’s able to prove to her that he can change his reckless behavior to be his best self, and Iria begins to be convinced that maybe she really can trust him enough to marry him after all.

17th

**Anonymous** asked:

Honestly i feel sorry for Hector and imelda's kids. In canon imelda went from carrying a century long grudge to jumping into Hector's arms in the pace of a few hours, can you imagine how sickenly mushy and sweet they must be when there's no complicated past between them?

They are the actual worst.

Héctor and Imelda are very much physical affection oriented and constantly doing little sweet things: constant touching of shoulders and elbows, unprompted casual hugging, and constant quick kisses.

Their kids are constantly in agony over how obnoxiously in love their parents are, especially when they do gross things like kissing in public.

The very worst though is when they start saying sweet things to each other and get distracted when they’re supposed to be cooking or something. I mean come on, why can’t they focus on more important stuff?

17th

**Anonymous** asked:

No murder Hector au, do the kids like uncle ernesto? I have a feeling he would encourage Ruy to be wild

Tio Ernesto is a wonderfully awful influence on Hector and Imelda’s kids.

First and foremost, Ernesto is not a baby person. He can grin and bear it when he’s handed an infant, but it’s not until the kids are walking and talking that he starts corrupting connecting with them.

Coco was the first one he connected with, he hadn’t realized that children could be genuinely sassy without even knowing it and seeing a kid push back against an adult without even realizing it makes him grin.

He was an only child growing up and especially loves finding ways to spoil the girls, he has trouble connecting with the boys since he doesn’t have any positive father figure memories to pull from.

Tio Ernesto is the master of candy bribes and giving presents that Hector and Imelda have just told their children that they can’t have. He’s the kind of tio that shows up with a pony at a kid’s birthday just to see the horrified looks on Hector and Imelda’s faces.

That said, he is only generous when he wants to be. If he’s tired or annoyed or just plain done he has no problem pushing one of the boys off the couch to make room for himself. (Only the boys though.) Coco and Leti have much more luck with Tio Ernesto and are allowed to pester him much longer than the boys are.

Ernesto doesn’t care too much for Matty or Victor, but surprisingly he actually clicks with Rodrigo. Or maybe it’s not that surprising since Rodrigo is just like Hector was when he was young.

By the time Ruy is in his difficult teen years neither Hector or Ernesto are young anymore, but seeing Rodrigo acting out and getting in trouble in exactly the kinds of ways that he and Hector used to makes Ernesto laugh and laugh and lauuuugh.

There are many times when a steamed Ruy stomps his way over to Tio Ernesto’s place and they have a great time trash talking his dad together, but once Ruy cools off a little, Ernesto (who is much older and wiser by now) manages to bring it back and help Ruy see things a little differently, to help him realize that maybe his papa had a point.

Ernesto is also able to bring up tidbits about Hector that Ruy would never have guessed.

“He just doesn’t understand Tio Nesto, Papi doesn’t know what a soulmate is.”

***extremely prolonged and eventually wheezing laughter***

“What?”

“Okay kid, let me tell about the million girls who were “the one” that came before your mama.”

“…no…”

“ _Yes_.”

Tio Ernesto is ultimately a balancing influence on Ruy during the awful and combative years. Ernesto knows better than anyone his best friend’s flaws, but he’s also Hector’s biggest defender. He’s also the one that can take Hector aside to say “you know this kid is _exactly_ like you right?” He helps take some pressure off both sides during the years that Hector and Rodrigo are having their hardest times.

Overall, even though some of Ernesto’s Tio-ing choice have Hector and Imelda groaning, he’s an important part of the family. He spoils the girls, tolerates the boys, and helps to bring perspective to the struggling years between Hector and Rodrigo.

All in all, the Rivera family couldn’t imagine life without him.

23rd

**Anonymous** asked:

💡for your Rodrigo and Iris fanfic

💡-What was the motivation behind the story?

Rodrigo is an OC character originally made exclusively for villain au, the youngest of Hector and Imelda’s children, but as I’ve been writing him his character and backstory keep getting more complex and lovable and tragic.

Writing villain au gets emotionally heavy sometimes, so as a kind of stress release I was headcanoning with Slush how Rodrigo might have been happy and loved in another universe, which brought along Iria.

But of course, what could be more heart wrenching than bringing the best thing that could have happened to him into his darkest timeline?

Slush surprised me with the second half of the [“Ruia” story](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/174837920974/peer-pressures-you-into-a-ruyiria-iruya) which they sent me during a work meeting, and I had to keep myself from crying while reading it on the sly between discussing radio production interstitial proposals with my writing team.

As soon as I got off work I sat down on a cafe table outside and wrote the first part to send back to them, the part where they could have been happy together but Rodrigo’s emotional baggage was already weighing him down.

So part of the motivation behind writing it was to make Slush feel sad back, part of it was to see Ruy get some of the love he’s so desperate for, and part of it was just to see these two together. I love them so much, and even in their darkest timeline they bring me so much joy.

24th

[**odd-cinderella**](http://odd-cinderella.tumblr.com/) asked:

Do you have a main song when you write Villain!AU? Or any song recommendations for your AU?

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172468267149/do-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau) answered:

Yessssssss I dooooooo. :D

[”Worst in Me” by Unlike Pluto](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8euSENdlgzY%26list%3DRD8euSENdlgzY&t=NDQ3OGNiYTI4NTIzNmRjZTM2ZGY0ODdmNTJkMDFjZTNmZGZmNzliYSxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”Blood//Water” by Grandson](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSk-U8ruIQyA&t=NjU1NzgyNzEyMjA3NzcyNzU5YjY2MTA1ZGQ3NDc0MmRmMTljYzRkZCxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”Burn the House Down” by AJR](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DozbnTScWups&t=ZjQ2MTUyYTk4MmQxNjRkMzg4NDIyOGFmMGM0YTllZmIyMjA0ZTk0MSxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”Bury Me Facedown” by Grandson](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DDLbqnmvLPKE&t=MGY5MThmMjcxMzMzZmI3YzYwMjE3ZWJjNWQyYjk5NzM3YWZhMGI2MixCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”GRRRLS” by AViVA](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DShk7qcvqDOo&t=MTQxMWQyMWRhNTkyZTkzZjUxMTZhY2EyMGViZmE3YmZkNGM0MjNmNSxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[”Thought and Prayers” by Grandson](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D4DQ-2tDzJxw&t=MzhhYTk3NzdmN2EyZTg5Mjk1OGNiNWViZWIxYjAxYmJiZmJmZTNiMCxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

Thanks for asking!

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/175195705874/do-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau)

## Update on the villian!au playlist, because feels have reached critical mass and there’s just too many good songs.

**Ruy**

[Ke$ha - Die Young](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D4LYLsJaUWGo&t=OWFlYTQxYzg1NjFiYzUxNWNjZjRiMmEzYmE2MjNhZmVjZDllZDBkYyxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[Sober Up (Lyrics) (feat. Rivers Cuomo)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DX3orqPl83Dk&t=YTNkYmY3ODQzMDQxZjdkNTg1OWZhOGVhNTQ4YTg0M2ZmZDQwNWZjMSxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[Koda white Dove](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHbdN8CGCpKA&t=Zjg0ZGE5MzkwYTYyOWExNDk2NWQyZDczMTQzODMxZTljYTI2M2I3ZCxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

**Ruia (Ruy x Iria)**

[Lauv - I Like Me Better](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DqG5RnFg9ti8&t=NGFiNzQ2ZjU4ZjZlNzcxNWQ0MjI1NTU3NTIwZDUzYWNmZjgzMTVkNixCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[Bittersweet Panic! At the Disco](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRUZReNjIduA&t=YjgxNjcyYzBmZGRlNjAxMDA0NjRlOGQ5MjcyNGVmNGVkODUzYWU5NyxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

**Enrique**

[Stephen - Sincerely](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DgDDfKqRWueU&t=NzZmODA4MjRhYTUzMTAwYmY4MThjZDVhY2FkNWQwNjdkNmM4MTUzMixCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

[Stephen - Crossfire](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeH4F1Tdb040&t=ZjdiMmNhZDlkMmYwMmVlZGNmNzFjMWEzMDM2MjQ4NzE1MDgxZmQxMixCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

**Miguel**

[Show Me Love (EDX Remix) - Sam Feld](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D9zbdAzEkIgY&t=Yzg0YzkxYjhhYTlhNDk2NWZiYzQ4MWNmZWY3OWRkMjEzYzlkZmQ4OSxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

**Victoria**

[Play with Fire (feat. Yacht Money) Sam Tinnesz](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyzVQkO92wNw&t=MDA4MzU5YTRiMGRjZjdjNDRiNmFjZDUxNjE1NGYxMmVkZWFjMzE5YyxCZml2UmRkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175195705874%2Fdo-you-have-a-main-song-when-you-write-villainau&m=1)

24th

[**a-courageous-and-kind-princess**](https://a-courageous-and-kind-princess.tumblr.com/) asked:

I just finished reading the latest chapter of the Villain AU, and Victoria is freaking insane! Literally worse than Hector!! Great job!

In both senses of the word, I completely agree.

Oh Victoria…

****

24th

**Anonymous** asked:

Does Ruy call Héctor Papi to irritate his father or is it something left over from childhood?

He definitely does it to irritate Hector, he couldn’t handle not calling him his father, so instead Rodrigo says “Papi” as flippantly as he can to try and make up for it.

24th

**Anonymous** asked:

So did Victoria get horribly twisted after being kidnapped (kinda like how Hector found it easier to commit atrocities after Ernesto) or was she always f****d in the head and being kidnapped just pushed her off the edge?

Victoria was a perfectly normal child, the same as she would have been in canon really, but she did grow up in a wealthy and famous family and spent a lot of time with her abuelito since she was his favorite grandchild. She was still young when Hector died, but who knows what kind of beliefs and philosophies many have subconsciously rubbed off on her just by spending so much time with a murderer as her mentor.

Her real descent into madness took place during the weeks between her kidnapping and her death. Once she arrived in the Land of the Dead, Hector took her under his protection to try and piece her back together, a recovery that perhaps would have gone more smoothly had tracking down her freshly dead murderer not been part of her recovery process…

The rumors that Rodrigo’s heard suggest that her murderer is either gagged and tied below the water line at the abandoned docks of the old shantytown, or that perhaps he’s been disassembled and locked up in separate pieces.

None of the rumors seemed to realize that the far more terrifying option for someone with claustrophobia is to be bound and pushed into a still wet cement foundation of the currently under construction Rivera Wing of the local hospital.

It was the first time that Hector had ever “taken care of” a dead man. The ingenuity was Victoria’s.

Imelda asked not to be told what had been done, already sensing that her grand-daughter would be far too much for her to handle, leaving the job to Hector instead.

24th

[**odd-cinderella**](http://odd-cinderella.tumblr.com/) asked:

SO, VICO IS A "PERFECTED" MIGUEL!?

Ehhhh, not _really_?

Miguel and Victoria are two very different situations (Victoria dying of outside of family causes and being rehabilitated by Hector, versus Miguel being killed by Hector and then _also_ rehabilitated by him) but they do share a similarity in that they both died extremely traumatic deaths.

The real reason that they’re so messed up is that the person in charge of helping them re-achieve sanity and mental stability (Hector) is himself fundamentally disturbed, meaning that his issues end up magnifying themselves in his charges as they “recover,” his seriously flawed approach to their care resulting in very bad results.

With both Victoria and Miguel a fundamental problem is Hector’s crippling desire to be loved and respected and needed, making him over-eager to personally attend to their every need in a way that suffocates their independence and isolates them socially.

With Victoria there’s the extra layer of Hector encouraging her to “defend” herself, which feeds very unhealthy habits and thought processes. Miguel, on the other hand, is Hector’s guilt incarnate, meaning that he is babied and restricted to the point of a crippling lack of confidence.

25th

**Anonymous** asked:

honestly tho, god bless pepita for protecting Ruy and taking him to his mamá (but girl, do you not hear your son being tortured???)

PEPITA IS A GOOD CAT.

Ruy and Pepita were also very close while they were both alive, Rodrigo’s been spending family gatherings hanging out with the family cat for nearly a century now and Pepita loves him to most of anyone but Imelda.

Unfortunately, Imelda took Pepita to go find Hector as soon as Ruy left, meaning that Pepita wasn’t around to hear Rodrigo when he was pulled into a back room by Victoria.

And since Pepita isn’t _his_ alebrije, she won’t be able to sense his distress from a distance like Caprice will be able to.

25th

**Anonymous** asked:

What could Hector have done in the beginning of villain au that would have prevented him from going evil/crazy? Because as much as killing ernesto was wrong, I really cant think of any other way that could have saved him and his family from ernesto

Very interesting question for first thing in the morning anon, but the truth is that if killing Ernesto seems like the _only_ way, then I’ve done my job as a writer.

Hector certainly thought in his panicked and emotionally overwhelmed state that it was his only option, especially after consulting with a frantic Imelda who just wanted her husband home safe.

But the reality is that things could have gone so many other ways. The main point that Hector was concerned about was that if he left, Ernesto would follow him home and harm his family, which in reality would not have happened, or at least not the way he was imagining.

Ernesto is a very in-the-moment kind of planner that doesn’t think well long-term under emotional duress. If Hector had snuck out in the middle of the night for instance Ernesto would have been surprised and angry, but the time it took to ride back to Santa Cecilia would have cooled off the in-the-moment stress that had built up during the tour.

Ernesto would have still been dangerous, and bad things could still have happened of course (especially since Hector now knows he’s murderous) but it’s not the “he’ll hunt me and my family down and kill us all” situation that Hector is imagining. The problem was that Ernesto being willing to murder is so far out of Hector’s frame of reference for his best friend that he’s no longer sure about anything and acts in the most extreme way possible to counteract it.

Another option would be to confront Ernesto, but with police in tow, possibly with police listening outside. Hector confronting him alone would be dangerous, and confronting him with police could kill the possibility of a confession since Ernesto would try to play dumb, but if there were officers waiting just outside while Hector asked Ernesto about the shot glass then they would be able to burst into the room right as Ernesto makes a desperate attempt to silence Hector for knowing too much. It would be risky, but Hector’s soul and moral compass would be intact.

But again, something like that was too complex for the terrified Hector who relies on his friend/wife to make his plans, or for Imelda who resorted to the most extreme option since her fear was magnified by the distance between them, making her feel helpless.

I’m sure there’s many other ways this could have gone, but those are a couple options. The trick about choices is that they are never a black and white as they seem, it’s our own brains that tend to narrow them down to “live” or “die” without considering the full range of possibilities before us.

25th

# Ruia - A Good Thing

[Still decompressing after writing the last villain au chapter, here’s some Ruy x Iria fluff that is the result of that. The following takes place in an unspecified timeline, New York 1948, not necessarily villain au.]

“You are ridiculous.” Iria said, the fingers of her left hand loosely hooked around Ruy’s as they walked down the city sidewalk together.

“Well, that must be a good thing since you won’t leave me alone.” Ruy said, his quirky sideways smile visible in the yellow light of the streetlamps outside the embassy building were she lived.

They walked back behind the embassy steps, outside the veiw of the street, where they always said goodnight.

“You are not flipping that one on me.” Iria said, leaning up against him. “I mind my own business, I don’t make wounded puppy noises until I get attention.”

“I do not make puppy noises, never.” Ruy said with a grin, leaning to rest back against the wall behind them, pulling her with him. “That is a lie.”

Instead of answering, Iria leaned forward, smiling as he met her halfway. It started simple, but all it took was Iria relaxing against him for Ruy to deepen the kiss. He was never aggresive, unlike so many other boys, but he always took everything that she gave him, perpetually starved for her touch.

Iria felt his arms wrap around her waist, and she let her nails drag just a little as she ran her hands through his hair. She wound her fingers tighter into his hair, making him whimper slightly and pull her closer.

“That, ” Iria said, pulling out of the kiss long enough to catch her breath, “was a puppy noise.”

“Tramposa,” Ruy grinned, gasping lightly for air, “you cheat.”

“Well that must be a good thing.” Iria said, running her hands down his ribcage. “Since you won’t leave me alone.”

“El día que me quieras, para nosotros dos,” Ruy said, smiling as he softly spoke the words against the line of her jaw. “cabrá en un solo beso la beatitud de Dios.”

“And what does that mean?” Iria asked, pretending not to understand the lines of poetry he’d just recited. Amando Nervo, to be exact.

“It means that you are beautiful.” Ruy said, nuzzling her neck. “It means that I’d like to kiss you more.”

“Well, I think it means that we should both be getting home.” Iria said, putting a hand on the side of his face, only to have him turn and kiss her palm.

“Together?” he asked, an eyebrow raised playfully.

“No.” Iria said, letting him hold her hand against his face as he leaned into her touch. “I have work early tomorrow morning.”

“You could skip work.” Ruy said, teasingly, already knowing her answer.

“Goodnight Ruy. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Iria said, making her voice as firm as she could, stopping the negotiating before it started.

“El día que me quieras.” he repeated, leaning forward and kissing her again, mumbling the words softly against her lips.

“And what does that mean?” Iria asked, brushing her thumb across his cheekbone once he’d finished.

“It means,” Ruy said, taking her hands and lacing his fingers through hers one last time, “that I’m already looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

“You can come after six.” Iria said, forcing herself to pull away from him and walk to the stairs of her building.

“I’ll be here at five.” Ruy called as she mounted the marble steps of the embassy complex.

“Goodnight.” she called back, smiling before stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

One of these days she would have to tell him she was fluent in Spanish, but for now if he didn’t want her to understand his aching declarations of love, she’d keep playing along.

The fact that he seemed to think that his love for her was a secret somehow made it even sweeter.

***

(The day you love me, for us two

the bliss of God will fit in one kiss.)

“El día que me quieras” by Amado Nervo

28th

**Anonymous** asked:

Have you ever heard the song Runs in the Family by Amanda Palmer? Every time I hear it I get major Rodrigo vibes.

Okay so at first I was listening to this and was like “eh, I guess kinda?”

And then it hit [2:00](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2Fk7VVULdCX_Q%3Ft%3D2m1s&t=YjllNTlhMzEzNzllYTZlYTMxYWU5ZWQ3YmE5NmJlZDUyZGY4ZDg3MSxlTGxBZmZQdA%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175356215799%2Fhave-you-ever-heard-the-song-runs-in-the-family-by&m=1) and it got PAINFULLY ACCURATE ALL OF A SUDDEN HOLY MOLY.

SOMEONE SAVE THIS POOR CHILD.

28th

Man, after that chapter of Villain AU, I could write a fifty page essay on the horrors of how good people can fall so far that they're unrecognizable and how the lies they tell themselves and the ways they trick themselves into pretending they're still good even as they brutalize the people around them in a million ways but that makes me sad so I'm just gonna keep writing my magical fantasy land where Luisa and Enrique adopt Ruy post-mortem and he gets to be with a family that loves him.

If you wrote a fifty page essay on villain au I would 100% read it and also probably frame it in my room.

And yes! There’s a LOT of psychology/human nature themes going on in villain au, it’s one of the joys of writing it is that I get to explore so many characters that are being pushed to their limits.

As for running to a magical fantasy land away from Ruy’s problems, well, that’s what he’s been doing for the last seventy years too, so at least you’re in good company.


	6. July 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All tumblr posts and asks published during July 2018 in chronological order.

5th

**Anonymous** asked:

So if Héctor murdered Ruy (poisoned him maybe?) does this mean that Imelda was in on it, too?

Héctor did not kill his son. In the last chapter Rodrigo says “ _you_ killed me,” but he means it in that he blames Héctor for driving him to live such a dangerous and reckless lifestyle because he felt driven away by him.

Rodrigo really did get drunk that night in 1951, lose control of his vehicle, smash his car into the bridge’s guardrail and go careening into the bay. Héctor and Imelda had nothing to do with the accident and were both genuinely grieved to hear of their youngest son’s death.

But that doesn’t stop Ruy from blaming his father for the way his life spiraled out of control, and it doesn’t stop Héctor from secretly feeling guilty for missing the chance to have the relationship with his son that he wanted.

Which is why when Ruy accuses _him_ of causing his death, it hits an extremely painful nerve that he’s been trying to cover for decades, one that is especially sensitive after he really did directly cause Miguel’s death.

7th

[**aleja09isthebest**](http://aleja09isthebest.tumblr.com/) asked:

The most tragic thing of the evil au is that there is no lashes to obsess about Hector

Ah, but there is. :)

In villain au Jazmin Veracruz is a very young but very serious historian. She holds a masters degree in history with an emphasis in Mexican music, with a thesis written on Hector Rivera.

She has one of the most popular historical fan blogs on the internet where anyone can get access to her pages and pages and _pages_ of Hector Rivera content: archive performance footage, rare scanned photographs, memorabilia, journal pages, maps, birth and death certificates, conspiracy theories, fanfiction, fanart, and general crazy ramblings, and much much more.

It’s _the_ most comprehensive Hector Rivera database on the planet and her older colleagues roll their eyes at how “obsessed” she is over it, but have to admit she’s done an incredibly thorough job over the years, even if you have to wade through starry-eyed rambling about the movie star’s eyelashes of all things in order to find the research materials you’re looking for.

Jazmin doesn't care though, she’s perfectly happy with the archive that she’s built and gets professional credit for it.

After all, if your target idol has been dead for decades, no one can misconstrue your hyper fixation as “stalking.”

7th

**Anonymous** asked:

In the Villain!AU many years into the future, who in the Rivera family would be the first to be Forgotten?

Ah, geez…of the characters that are already dead in the storyline?

Well, Hector and Imelda last the longest, along with Miguel who has an entire missing child foundation named after him. Hector Jr has made his mark as the founder of Rivera Corp, and Ruy’s reputation is cast in stone with his fame, as long or perhaps even longer than his parents.

Probably Leti first honestly since she died so young, followed by her brother Matty who didn’t care for fame much. Enrique follows close behind when his family ages, Victoria is in a weird place because she’s a family horror story that gets passed on, but also hushed up, so she would probably not last very much longer than Enrique.

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Love your story. Read the first chapter and thought to myself “Damn, I don’t even know why Miguel’s mad. I’d do the same thing.” And then I realized, well crap, Papa Hector would be proud. Oops lol

PSA:

DO NOT MURDER YOUR GRANDCHILD TO MAINTAIN YOUR HONOR.

THAT IS BAD GRAND-PARENTING.

Glad you’re enjoying the AU though? Don’t kill people. Villain Hector is a very bad role model.

_[Art by_ [ _@alemanriq_ ](https://tmblr.co/mlUo3yMgOf8rVvrPx_bLSaw) _, do yourself a favor and read their original Coco comics_ [ _here_ ](http://alemanriq.tumblr.com/post/171479297037/thanks-to-abadooba-and) _.]_

9th

**Anonymous** asked:

Ah there appears to be some confusion with my previous ask (my fault; I failed to specify) I meant about about killing Ernesto, not Miguel. Killing Miguel was awful. Ernesto..... not so much. P.S.A-Don’t kill your great-great grandchildren. Your buddy who planned to kill you? Conscience matter

Well this made me laugh during my lunch break.

1) I’m glad you don't agree with child murder, you had me worried there for a minute.

2) I agree that killing your murderer is a far more morally difficult situation to untangle. Especially since it’s completely morally degraded Hector in the years since and poisoned his entire family for generations.

3) Hector would be glad that you were convinced to his side though, he probably would have let you go home alive for agreeing with him.

4) But still don't kill people.

5) Pulling that kind of stunt without personal repercussion only works in video games.

6) I mean look at Hector now.

7) Also Ernesto what the heck man, you trying to kill turned into you being killed but its still killing and everything is still bad

and just

no one kill

just stop.

You can justify anything if you think hard enough, and as soon as you cross the line there’s no more line to judge by and everything slips into darker and darker shades of grey. You kill your murderer, and a few years later you’re poisoning a gossip columnist for getting too creative with something your wife said at a gala last week.

Like, it never stops.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. You can’t do good by doing bad. Choose between what is right and what is easy. There’s always another way.

All those lines you find in hero stories _because_ the thing that will keep you morally intact is often far more risky and complex than the easy answer like “kill it.”

Anyways. I’ve rambled. I’m tired and I’ve got feels.

Glad you’re enjoying the au! I’m excited for you to see what’s in store, because I can promise that it is going to be both risky and complex.

9th

[**agent-numbuh-227**](https://agent-numbuh-227.tumblr.com/) asked:

Oh, so if Ruy is the cool uncle, does he takes his nieces on horseback rides on Caprice? I kinda have this cute image of him and Elena bonding while taking while brushing Caprice's mane and Elena tying ribbons on it. ..

“Caprice is not for riding, you only get to sit on her back if she wants you to. She is not a “pet,” she is a member of the family. I’m sure she’d love to have you brush and braid her mane though if you’re careful not to pull.”

\- Ruy

Caprice was _not_ well treated by her previous owner and doesn’t do well with riders, physically or psychologically, and Ruy respects her needs. She loves kids though and very occasionally allows the girls to ride her around the yard, but most of the time Ruy and his sobrinas end up lounging in the grass with her while singing and telling stories.

11th

**Anonymous** asked:

Can Ruy cook? Or did he inherit his Papa's tendency to make inedible stuff?

_Now_ we’re getting to the important Ruy questions. x)

Ruy did not inherit his father’s cooking disaster genes. He knows his way around a recipe and _loves_ all kinds of international dishes that his many friends introduce him to, so of course he has to learn how to make them himself. He’s one of those people that wouldn’t call himself a fantastic cook, but it is something he enjoys a lot and that he is very good at.

In every universe he is a better cook than his girlfriend/wife Iria, which is an irony that is lost on neither of them since her mother is a professional chef. In the PATF crossover au he grows up spending a lot of time in the kitchen with Auntie Tiana to cool off after fighting with his parents and gets an extra dose of kitchen wizardry from that. This also means that when he’s older and married he can make all of Iria’s favorite dishes just like her mother did whenever she gets homesick.

14th

**Anonymous** asked:

On the subject of food, what are some of Ruy's favorite snacks? Any he shares with his folks?

Ruy loves to cook, and he has tons of international friends that he’s made in New York, meaning that his cooking repertoire is wide and varied. He makes a huge amount of Mexican food of course since it reminds him of home and his friends are delighted to eat it, but here’s a few of his favorite international dishes that he makes pretty frequently.

**Beignets** \- USA, Louisiana

Iria isn’t much of a cook, despite her mother being a professional chef and restaurant owner, but she has managed to teach Ruy how to make what is their shared favorite dessert. Essentially a square deep-fried doughnut, drizzled in honey and buried in powdered sugar. Ruy tries not to make them _too_ often, because an entire batch rarely lasts more than an hour, whether or not he has friends over. 

**Burasa -** Indonesia

In South Sulawesi (and in other parts of the island) there is a dish called burasa, which is basically rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf for added flavor, then wrapped in two layers of banana leaf before being boiled for at least eight hours. It’s highly popular during Eid.

Ruy likes them partially since they remind him of tamales from back home, but also it’s a snack that is filling and portable, making it very convenient for Ruy to bring with him on walks through central park when he might be struck with inspiration and end up staring at a tree all day arranging notes in his head.

**Venegret** \- Russia

Vinegret is a popular Russian salad that includes diced cooked vegetables (beetroots, potatoes, carrots), chopped onions, as well as sauerkraut and/or brined pickles. An easily made dish that Ruy often has in the fridge since it doesn't wilt or go bad nearly as quickly as a green salad..

**Gravad lax** \- Sweden

You basically roll raw salmon (“lax”) around in a solution of sugar and salt and serve it with dill and some boiled potato. That is oftentimes eaten at feasts, either Christmas or Midsummer. The ingredients are easy to get in New York which makes it a frequent favorite.

**Snaps** \- Sweden

Often drunk during feasts, in small amounts in small glasses, just like tequila! In Swedish tradition traditional songs are sung and then everyone cheers and takes a sip. The catch is that you _cannot_ kick snaps back in one go like tequila, and Ruy was fool enough to try his first time having it, resulting in a very good laugh from his Swedish friends to see his reaction.

_[Huge special thanks to_[ _@pencokun_](https://tmblr.co/maPTRMRM1hEMeJVTi-uYVBQ) [_@fishkinn_](https://tmblr.co/mG85GQ-1Y7n82JnvoG8oFDw) _and_[ _@scribblrhob_](https://tmblr.co/mMPXt4jTIxS23jIeiiWuh-Q) _who were all delightfully helpful in introducing me to favorite cuisine of their respective countries! I got very hungry while researching this and now want to eat it all.]_

[ **_im-fairly-whitty_ ** ](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/175891730249/on-the-subject-of-food-what-are-some-of-ruys)

_All’s well that ends well my friends, in that case Ruy enjoys it even more. :)_

14th

[**31revvit-deactivated20180723**](https://31revvit-deactivated20180723.tumblr.com/) asked:

okay im curious about something. if and if in the villian authe truth about Hector gets out. will the other riveras suffer. like the twins and coco. will migue;l and his fatlher not want to see them and will the twins be on Miguel or imeldas side knowing their sisiters and husband allowed him to die

That’s a good question, things within the family would be extremely messy if the truth in full were to get out.

The twins specifically are not as close to their sister as they are in canon, since instead of having them move in when she became widowed, she became more emotionally distant as she focused everything she had on managing her husband’s career. They still love their sister, but they also recognize that she’s gotten a new harder edge that they don’t quite understand over the years and it makes them a little uncomfortable.

They love Imelda, but they would be horrified to hear what had happened to Miguel.

17th

So 90% of my tumblr break was me listening to[ Vices & Virtues](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fplaylist%3Flist%3DPLl0SLHWBt8vTL5-z6hDOPbARdEdyLESDB&t=ZjNhOTZlNWI0ZWQ2NzVjODNjMDE4ZTI2NjExNmE3NzBmZmEwOGZlNyxzZ3lZenJJZw%3D%3D&b=t%3AL_Po9uj75QrzS0VU9zkRKg&p=http%3A%2F%2Fslusheeduck.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F175999808763%2Fso-90-of-my-tumblr-break-was-me-listening-to&m=1) and being sad about Ruy, including a thing me and [@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw) discussed, which is an AU of an AU where Hector _does_ go to Ruy’s debut at nineteen, which saves him from the life of partying and running from problems he’s known for in Villain AU…

…but makes him a nervous wreck as he spends the rest of his short life trying to stay within the family perimeters because he _knows_ he’s the one most in danger of ruining the family name and so he forces himself into being the kind of son his parents want and killing the part of himself that wants to go wild. It’s possibly an even worse Ruy than Villain Ruy.

Anyway, I wrote a rambly thing about it.

“Ah, you must be _the_ Rodrigo Rivera.”

Rodrigo blinked, looking up as his name pulled him from his thoughts. He absently brushed a stray hair back into place as he put on his friendliest smile and turned to the woman who’d spoken to him.

“Guilty,” he said, as breezily as he could, shifting his champagne glass to his other hand so he could take the woman’s. “And you’re…Señora Natchez, sí?” It was hard to tell beneath the blush, but he was pretty sure she blushed as she nodded. He knelt his head to lightly graze her gloved hand with his lips. “ _Encantado._ ”

He pulled back as she giggled like a school girl, careful to keep his politely interested expression from dropping while he waited for her to respond. Mamá always managed to keep it up, he could, too. He smiled as she gathered herself.

“I was there for your last concert, Maestro, and it was _enthralling_ ,” Señora Natchez gushed. “Absolutely beautiful.”

_It was garbage._

Rodrigo drowned the thought with a gulp of champagne, once again brushing that stray hair back into place before he smiled pleasantly. “I’m very glad to hear you enjoyed it.” He tugged at the sleeve of his suit jacket, getting it back into place as he added, “And hopefully you’ll be at the performance in November.” He leaned forward conspiratorially. “It hasn’t been announced yet, but my father and I will be playing together. We’re already writing new compositions for it.”

“ _Oye_ , are you giving away trade secrets, Ruy?” A hand settled down on his head, the same way it had while he’d been growing up. He pulled his head away and turned to smile at his papá as he joined him.

“I haven’t said _anything_. Have I, Señora Natchez?” he asked, smirking at Héctor as Señora Natchez looked between the two. He laughed as his father gave his shoulder a playful push.

“Don’t yank my chain, mijo, I can tell when you’re lying.” Héctor shook his head, giving an exaggeratedly exasperated sigh as he set a hand on Rodrigo’s shoulder. “I don’t know if you know this, doña, but my son can run his mouth like nobody else. Keeping secrets is _impossible_ in this family. Luckily, I need to borrow him anyway, so you won’t have the _whole_ November performance ruined for you.”

Rodrigo glanced up at his father, then gave Señora Natchez an apologetic smile before letting himself be led away.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered once they were out of earshot. “I thought I was handling myself really well.”

“You were, you were.”

“I was practically like Mamá back there.”

“Exactly, that’s why I came to get you.” Héctor gave his son a wink. “You started having that same edge Mamá gets when she talks to people for too long.” He glanced around the ballroom, then nodded toward the door. “Let’s get some air, hm?”

Rodrigo’s brows drew together curiously, but he didn’t argue as his father guided him out toward the balcony. It was still early enough in the summer for the night to be pleasantly cool, and he took a deep breath before looking out at the lights of Mexico City. Somewhere deep in him, his heart tugged for him to abandon the party tonight, to go out and forget his responsibilities and the critic reviews and the family respectability, to just go out and _live._ But…well, not tonight. Maybe he’d give in to that need another time.

He gave himself a little shake, then reached into his coat pocket to pull out a cigarette. As he raised it to his lips, he caught his father’s disappointed sigh.

“ _Ruy_. I thought you were quitting.”

Rodrigo swallowed, looking down at the cigarette in his hand before tucking it back into his pocket. “I am. I’m just…” He let out a quick, sharp breath as he rested his hands against the railing. “I’m… _stressed._ Just a little bit.”

“Are you still thinking about that review?” Héctor asked gently, hand lightly resting on Rodrigo’s shoulder again. He grimaced, and Héctor sighed. “I know, mijo. The first bad review is always hard, especially starting so young. But…”

“That’s the _thing_ , it wasn’t the first!” The words burst out of Rodrigo as a snap, and he quickly shut his mouth and looked away before he could see _that_ look. The one he’d seen on his papá’s face almost every day when he’d been an explosive teenager. Por Dios, he’d just turned twenty-six; he should be _in control_ of his emotions by now. He swallowed as he looked back out at the city lights, only glancing toward Héctor once the hand on his shoulder gave him a soothing squeeze. He pressed his lips together hard. “I…sometimes, I feel like a _fraud._ Like…” He puffed out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, mussing it. “Like I haven’t done anything _worthwhile_ since my debut and that…I’ll never do anything productive again.”

“ _Ruy._ ” Héctor turned his son to look at him, meeting his eyes with a gentle seriousness. “You’re a _Rivera._ You have music in your _bones_.” He let out a soft breath. “The best musicians hit ruts. You’ve just hit your first. But it’ll pass.” He smiled, cupping Rodrigo’s cheek just as he’d done when he was younger. “And you’ll _always_ have your family here for you, mijo. Even if you never write anything again.”

_Never_ write anything again?

The very thought pulled the breath from Rodrigo’s lungs, and he did all he could to keep his face from showing his fear. He didn’t need to worry Papá with that, but…what if it was true? What if he could never write anything again? Could he live like that?

He swallowed and nodded. “I think…I’m going to leave early,” he mumbled. “I’ll probably see you in the morning.”

Héctor gave him an understanding smile as he pat his cheek. “Of course. And we’ll see if we can do something about your writer’s block, hm? I know a thing or two about how to break out of it.” He pulled him into a quick hug. “And remember, Ruy. No matter what, I am _so_ proud of you.”

Rodrigo did his best to return the smile, then quickly excused himself and made his way out of the party. He had a brief thought of walking home, of taking in the city sights and getting lost for a few hours, but…well. Tomorrow he and his father were supposed to work on a new song. He’d want to be in a good state of mind for that.

The cab ride wasn’t nearly long enough, and before he knew it, he was opening the door to his apartment. It was beautiful, of course—clean and modern with chrome accents and pictures of his family and various concerts up on the walls, along with some artwork picked up from here and there.

He _hated_ it.

He thought of changing it. Of ripping out the whole apartment down to the bones and redoing it the way he wanted. The problem was…he wasn’t sure what exactly it was he wanted. With the house, with music, with _anything._

He once again pulled the cigarette from his pocket, this time succeeding in getting it lit. He opened up his window, leaning against it as he sighed out a lungful of smoke and stared at the city below. He rubbed his eyes with a grimace.

“Papá’s still proud of me,” he murmured to himself, as if confirming that would shake off the dark, twisting feeling building in him. Sometimes, it felt like that was the only thing keeping him together. Ever since Héctor came to his first concert and uttered those words for the first time in years, he kept wanting to get that approval and validation. He _needed_ it, more than anything, and he knew more than anyone that if he let himself slip into his old habits, he’d lose that pride. And then where would he be?

Well, he’d maybe be a better musician.

Despite everything in his brain telling him not to, he turned away from the window and went to his coffee table, where several clippings were spread out. He’d read them so much over the past few days he could recite all of them from memory

_Composing Prodigy Falls Flat_

_Rivera “Genius” Runs Dry_

_Is Rodrigo Stuck in His Father’s Shadow?_

_Recent Concerto from Rivera Derivative, Uninteresting_

He stubbed out his cigarette angrily over one of the news clippings. They’d said the same things for almost three years now. He was too old to be seen as a novelty, and all he was left with were lackluster, boring pieces that he should honestly have been too embarrassed to show to the light of day. He wrote. He wrote _constantly_. It was the only way to get away from the world of saving face and keeping calm and being an honor to the Rivera name. But writing notes down didn’t make _music. Living_ made music. _Feeling_ made music.

And Rodrigo hadn’t done either in _years._ Because, without fail, he felt things too strongly, and that’s when he got in trouble. And trouble harmed the family, and it lost his father’s pride in him. And then what would he have?

_Nothing._ Because family was _everything._ Especially for the Riveras. Especially for Rodrigo.

He groaned and rubbed his face. He needed to sleep, and with all these thoughts running in his head, he’d never be able to. He made his way to the bedroom, grabbing the pill bottle on his counter on the way there. He didn’t like taking them, really—if the music in his head was already muted, the pills shut it off completely. But they kept his emotions in line, and that was good.

He squinted at the pills he’d dumped into his hand. He’d…already taken a couple before the party to take the edge off, but a few more to get him to sleep shouldn’t hurt. He might be a little groggy tomorrow, but that’d be fine.

He swallowed them as quickly as he could before settling onto the bed, waiting for his thoughts to turn to a pleasantly inoffensive static. That was better than worrying he’d never write again. Better than worrying he was ruining the family name. Better than thinking about how he desperately wanted to claw out of this life into something more vibrant, more thrilling.

Much, much better than thinking that his father’s approval may not be worth all that much.

~

To most people in the music world, Rodrigo Rivera’s overdose was seen as a tragic end to an unremarkable life—a classic case of youthful potential burning out before it could ever really take flight. More memorable was the family’s grief in the following months—at least, until September, when the former tragedy was eclipsed by the tragic deaths of “Tío Héctor” and his wife Imelda.

At the very least, fans of Héctor Rivera’s took comfort in the fact that he was back with his beloved son. Because to the Riveras, family was _everything._ No exceptions.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176000203009/slusheeduck-so-90-of-my-tumblr-break-was-me)

It’s fascinating to see what would have happened if Héctor he given his son more attention, because his love would still have been conditional and damaging.

Villain Héctor is too fixated on his own pride and reputation to put his son first anymore, and seeing the way that kind of “acceptance” would snuff out Ruy’s spirit is chilling.

This is indeed the worst timeline. At least in OG villain au Ruy still has his spark and his determination, even if he has other demons to dance with.

18th

[**sweetiepie08**](http://sweetiepie08.tumblr.com/post/176009518470)

Since reading [@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw)‘s villian au, I’ve developed a fantasy in which an army made up of all the Hectors from all the other aus roll up to villian au Hector all, “We know what you did.”

Because if there’s 2 things that will remain constants in the Coco multiverse, they’re that 1. All Hectors love their Chamacos, and 2. Hectors are hardest on themselves.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176009895424/sweetiepie08-since-reading-im-fairly-whittys)

[#villain Hector better pray they don’t call in the reinforcements from the Imelda squad](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/villain-Hector-better-pray-they-don%27t-call-in-the-reinforcements-from-the-Imelda-squad) [#just kidding the Imeldas are there too](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/just-kidding-the-Imeldas-are-there-too) [#they just sent the Hectors in first as a psychological attack](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/they-just-sent-the-Hectors-in-first-as-a-psychological-attack)

Now _that_ sounds like an actual nightmare, all your other selves showing up to grind you down in excruciatingly personal and exact detail.

Good.

[approved](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/approved) [there would be at least one wolf and a husky in that group which ups the ante](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/there-would-be-at-least-one-wolf-and-a-husky-in-that-group-which-ups-the-ante) [dont let canon imelda near him she's out for blood](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/dont-let-canon-imelda-near-him-she%27s-out-for-blood)

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

Villian!AU Imector kind of reminds me of Gomez and Morticia Addams. They're grossly in-love and protective of their family, while also killing people on the side sometimes.

Another favorite I found: “Look at her. I would die for her, I would kill for her. Either way, what bliss.”

I love this connection, but it also highlights the tragedy that the Addams family is supremely more functional than villain Imector’s, and that they love and support their children unconditionally…

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

I have a similar fantasy to the army of Héctors, but with mine it’s just Cannon. Cannon meets Villain and finds out about all his murders. While Villain tries to justify his actions to Cannon with his usual spiel about protecting the family and other justifications, including pointing out Cannons own death, Cannons look of horror turns to disgust and he simply states, “You sound just like Ernesto”.

[**sweetiepie08**](https://sweetiepie08.tumblr.com/post/176025125285/i-have-a-similar-fantasy-to-the-army-of-h%C3%A9ctors) answered:

Cannon Hector is the one waving the Miguel Protection Squad banner. And just wait until he sees the state Ruy is in.

Villain Hector cannot fool a real Hector. Real Hectors know. They know that behind the carefully cultivated smokescreen of rationalizations, false kindness, and disingenuous philanthropy lies a big, heavy ball of self loathing.

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

Reading your latest comment on slush’s latest Ruy story. it reminded me of a post by cheeseanonioncrisps about how the lesson of unconditional love is often overlooked in Coco. Imelda’s ban and her conditions to Miguel sent the message that love is conditional and that was what she needed to learn was wrong.

That’s very true! The tough thing about canon Imelda is that she _does_ love her family, but her expression of that love becomes claustrophobic when mixed with her fear. It’s great to love someone, but if you’re doing it wrong it doesn’t count, you can’t use “because I love you” to justify terrible treatment.

Making your love conditional, (ie, I will love you if you do this thing, if you don’t I will shut you out) is a little different from what canon Imelda does though. Imelda doesn’t withhold her love from Miguel though, she’s still going about it badly and heavy handidly, but her music ban is made out of personal pain and overwhelming concern for her family, blended with a need for control as the matriarch of her family.

She gets angry and disappointed, but I don’t think her love for Miguel was truly conditional. Miguel took her off guard, I do not beleive that she would have actually let him die if they had a staring contest all the way to sunrise because she loves him more than she loves her own pride (as evidenced by the fact that her opinion is able to change over the course of the evening), but she _is_ very stubborn and willing to stand her ground when she believes she can help protect her family. 

Canon Imelda learned a lesson in forgiveness and humility, but I beleive that she always loved her family, and that she operated from a stance of tough love, not conditional love.

[The worst villain timeline au ](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176000203009/slusheeduck-so-90-of-my-tumblr-break-was-me)is so hard to read because it is a prime example of _truly_ conditional love at its worst. Villain Hector does have some concern for Ruy’s wellbeing, but it’s far overshadowed by Hector’s protectiveness of his own legacy and pride, of the family name that he’s built as a whole. If Ruy steps out of line Hector doesn’t try to correct him for his own good, instead he ices him into submission by retracting his warmth until Ruy does what he wants.

Hector isn’t trying to help Ruy be his best self or even truly trying to protect him, Hector is trying to get Ruy to be who _he_ wants him to be for the sake of his own reputation and preferences. I think a key difference is that where canon Imelda had a set of very clear rules with clear reasoning behind them that she consistently enforced, villain Hector instead has a huge list of _unspoken_ rules that keep Ruy constantly on edge and assuming that he’s failing.

I mean, at the end of the day music is great and all, but it’s legitimately something you can live without. I mean it’s great to have, I love it, but a music ban is really not that much different than a family choosing not to drink alcohol, or watch TV, or dance. It’s odd and unusual, but ultimately it’s the kind of lifestyle choice that humans often make based on their family or religious culture/beliefs.

It’s a family rule to be respected, not a passive-aggressive reshaping of an individual to match another person’s limitless whims.

The first is family culture (albeit constricting and badly executed in the Rivera’s case) but the second is emotional abuse.

Where canon Imelda is able to love her family members and eventually revise her personal beliefs about Hector and music to be a better family member, villain Hector doesn’t have a similar concrete issue/misunderstanding that he operates from. Instead, villain Hector is legitimately focused on his own needs and wants before others, and is willing to even cut off his own son emotionally if he’s unable to control him to the degree that he wants.

18th

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

So would you say that Ruy, within the context of most Villain AUs, recognizes to a degree how conditional and not-worth-it Hector's 'love' is? Obviously he still wants that love; Hector's his father and Ruy is a sweetheart who craves connection and love. But if that rabbithole isn't gone down and the years pass with Hector freezing him out instead of putting him in an emotional stranglehold, is Ruy more conscious of the reality of it?

OG villain au Ruy is very conscious of the fact that his father’s love, at least for him, is unattainable without completely changing who he is, and is therefore not worth it in the long run.

Doesn’t stop the fact that he doesn’t have it from hurting though…

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

I both regret and love the fact that I found the villain!au. I was innocently going through ao3, when I saw the fic and was like "oh this sounds interesting". If only I could go back in time to tell past me to throw my phone into the ocean and run for the hills before I get sucked into this awesome but ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING AND TEAR INDUCING story ._.

I hope you enjoy this fifteen-minute scribble comic of what came to mind as I read your ask, Anon.

Welcome to the terrible fiesta that is villain au, we are many, we are emotionally compromised, and we are glad to have you here. :) The story is actually ramping into its climax right now and I’m already working on the next chapter since I’m also a terrified passenger on this crazy train, so stay tuned!

Imagine the two conductors in the Polar Express movie that have lost the pin to the train’s brake lever as it goes careening down the mountainous tracks and spinning out of control across a massive frozen lake in a pell-mell whirlwind of disaster.

That’s the conducting experience I’m having. And I’m loving it.

**18th**

Anonymous asked:

Did Villain!Hector ever look at Miguel and wonder if he had any right to do what he did to him? Does Miguel resent him to some extent?

In the beginning? Absolutely yes and absolutely yes.

Villain Hector is absolutely riddled with guilt when it comes to Miguel, which is the reason for his overwhelmingly overbearing parenting style during Miguel’s recovery and beyond. Miguel is absolutely horrified at Hector for what he did to him.

But as time goes on they both settle into a new normal that allows them to mentally and emotionally cope. Hector “takes care” of Miguel in a kind of effort to atone for what he’s done, and Miguel ends up latching on to Hector as a parental figure in order to have some semblance of emotional support for the gaping void of untreated trauma left behind in his psyche.

It’s horrendously unhealthy for both of them, but in lieu of actual therapy and long-term solutions, it’s the answer they’ve both been working with for decades.

Which explains why Hector is so emotionally unhinged when Miguel suddenly disappears, and why Miguel is an inhibited shell of his former self.

19th

**Anonymous** asked:

i'm sorry to bother you, but how exactly is Ruy's name pronounced? my english+some korean-speaking brain is trying to say roo-ee but I’m like 99.9999999% sure that’s incorrect xD thank you very much!

Not a bother at all! You’ve got his name right, just with a little more of a rolled R than you’re probably thinking.

Also keep in mind that he’s lived in New York with a host of international friends since he was nineteen, meaning that he’s heard every possible language and accent slaughter his name in some way or another over the years and doesn’t care too much _how_ you call him, as long as you’re ready for a good time.

19th

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

Random, hopefully low-key Ruy question: was he largely an instrumentalist/composer of instrumental music, or did he ever work with vocalists? Did he mainly stay in the realm of classical music? And I think you mentioned he was a cellist; does he play any other instruments?

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176071665004/random-hopefully-low-key-ruy-question-was-he) answered:

Ruy _can_ sing, and he’s not bad at it, but he really is an instrumentalist and composer at heart.

He’s brought in choirs to supplement his pieces a few times over the years, but always ends up feeling like he’s herding cats since he falls into trying to tune and coach each different voice individually and gets distracted.

He personally stays in the realm of classical music in his own work since that’s where he find the most life and energy that he can submerge himself in. That said, he adores pop and rock music as well and loves getting to know new music trends and musicians as the decades roll by. (Which is how he discovered two of his favorite musicians, Shakira and Selena.)

His most commonly played instrument is the piano since it lends itself to composing work, but he plays the cello to relax and the flute to have fun. He’s an absolute monster when it comes to instruments and learns to play them through osmosis, being able to play simple but coherent songs on them after an hour or two of fiddling around with them. (Except for the oboe, which has inexplicably defeated his efforts for years.)

This particular skill frustrates him though in that other people don’t have it. His wife Iria doesn’t play any instruments and it boggles his mind that he can’t just sit her down at a cello for an afternoon to learn it so they can play together.

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/post/176072452878)

I thought Iria played the ukelele?

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176073283769/random-hopefully-low-key-ruy-question-was-he)

“It is _too_ an instrument, Ruy.”

“It is, but…no. Like, a candy bar, you eat it, you love it, si? But you do not serve it, you do not cook it. It is for fun, it is not _real_ food. Ukelele is for fun, it is sweet, it is good, but it is not a _real_ instrument.”

“Well, there are people who play it professionally, like in Hawaii?”

“And there are professional chocolatiers. Are you a chocolatier of the ukelele _Estrella_? Or do you play it like a candy bar?”

“…I don’t know why I ever try to win these kinds of arguments with you.”

“I mean, if you _wanted_ to learn-”

“ _No_ Ruy.”

19th

[**demonoflight**](http://demonoflight.tumblr.com/) asked:

Is there a universe where Ruy gets to live a nice long life? Because god, that poor disaster child deserves even just one timeline where he isn’t suffering. He’s such a good OC, yo.

He is my favorite son, and he actually has a good long life in a lot of other universes!

In the [Princess](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/174813425823/29-for-writing-prompts-can-it-be-a-the-princess) and the [Frog](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172151387659/dealing-with-shadows-coco-x-princess-and-the-frog) x Coco crossover au, [Cecilia de Verde](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/168624764109/cecilia-de-verde), potentially teacher au, and other “Hector doesn’t die” au’s, Rodrigo levels out in his early twenties, marries his sweetheart Iria, has his son Rishi, has a successful conducting career, outlives his wife by eight years (during which he befriends a young jazz pianist named Sebastian who keeps him company and prevents him from doing anything _too_ stupid), and then peacefully passes away in his sleep as an eccentric old man in his mid-eighties.

Ruy has his challenges, but all in all he gets a pretty dang good life outside of villain au’s. And thank goodness, heaven knows he deserves it.

20th

[**catflowerqueen**](http://catflowerqueen.tumblr.com/) asked:

Would villain!Miguel get overwhelmed by the multitudes of Hectors coming to the rescue? Or would he be able to chill out for a little bit. Not to mention what Enrique must be thinking...

[**sweetiepie08**](https://sweetiepie08.tumblr.com/post/176078399695/would-villainmiguel-get-overwhelmed-by-the) answered:

[@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw) is the authority on villain!au characters, so she’ll have to correct me if I’m wrong.

Enrique is deeply, deeply, confused, but the Hectors seem to be on their side, so he’s cautiously optimistic.

Miguel is very distressed by the multitude of Hectors and it’s pretty triggering for him. This is something the Hectors did not take into account. Once they realize they are the source of this distress, they keep their distance the best they can and let him stick close to Enrique and Ruy. Luckily, Princess Bride au Miguel came along. He’s and older version of Miguel who’s cool and knows how to sword fight. Since he doesn’t cause any adverse reactions in Villain!Miguel, (in fact, villain!Miguel is pretty taken with a version of himself that’s strong and can fight bad guys), PB Miguel leads the team that escorts them to safety.

[**sweetiepie08**](http://sweetiepie08.tumblr.com/post/176079447295)

I almost forgot Ruy, who is highly suspicious of the whole thing. Emotional support? Effort? Seemingly unconditional love? From a Hector? It must be a trap. And yet, he can’t for the life of him figure out why his father would set up such an elaborate rouse that leads them out of his clutches just to lead them back in, so he goes with it, hoping he can somehow escape in the chaos.

But when they’re out of harm’s way, the Imeldas launch their aerial attack. The Imeldas fly on the backs of their Pepitas and destroy the Rivera mansion. There’s no way his father would destroy the house his pride built. Not for a trick, not for anything. It is then he starts to believe that this is real.

[**calliopesquill**](http://calliopesquill.tumblr.com/post/176079617008)

I’m just picturing the Imelda squad flying in with “flight of the Valkyrie” playing in the background. Possibly played by a rearguard group of Hectors.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176079717414/would-villainmiguel-get-overwhelmed-by-the)

Canon Imelda: “And bring your Pepita! We’ll need all the muscle we can get!!”

Teacher Imelda: *confused, looks at her tabby cat asleep on the couch*

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

Just to verify, does Villian Héctor have a good tooth? I’ve seen fan art of him without it but I think I read that he does have it.

Villain Hector’s fake tooth is actually one of his secrets.

He does have a fake one, the original was knocked out the night that he secretly went off to [kill a man that had assaulted Imelda](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172439846899/its-amazing-how-small-a-difference-can-create-two). Because Imelda wasn’t involved in the planning, the murder was a very messy one and Hector got pretty roughed up before he was able to end it.

When he dragged himself back to the house at four in the morning with a black eye, scratched and bruised arms, and his clothing and hands covered in blood that wasn’t his, he also had a badly cracked tooth. A lucky hit from his victim.

Hector’s friendly smile was part of his “Tio Hector” brand, meaning that they couldn’t afford to leave it unfixed, but also that when they couldn’t afford to replace it with something as gaudy and visible as gold.

So instead they had it pulled and a specially made porcelain false tooth put in its place. His smile was saved, the murder kept a secret, and everyone else is none the wiser.

[i actually don’t think I’ve said anything about his tooth before](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/i-actually-don%E2%80%99t-think-I%E2%80%99ve-said-anything-about-his-tooth-before) [but it’s one of the many uncovered backstory details built into this au](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/but-it%E2%80%99s-one-of-the-many-uncovered-backstory-details-built-into-this-au) [villain!au](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/villain%21au)

22nd

[**josiecarioca**](https://josiecarioca.tumblr.com/) asked:

Not a question as much as me absolutely having to inform you that since I´ve been made aware of the villain AU I can´t watch Alejandro Fernández in the video fo "Tantita Pena" without thinking "Yep, this would be villain!Héctor"

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176173889609/not-a-question-as-much-as-me-absolutely-having-to) answered:

I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting when I hopped on YouTube to check out this video, but it sure wasn’t a video that would have me crying actual tears of laughter.

The black leather charro suit, the 90′s frame transitions and editing effects, the suffocatingly austere red/black/gold architecture, the glossy black horse being ridden indoors, and no less than two live roosters being thrown directly at the camera. 

Thank you so so much for drawing my attention to the existence of this video, I am forever in your debt, but honestly the level of unabashed Extra™ contained within it reminds me less of villain!Hector (who cares immensely about maintaining his trademark kind and fatherly public image) and actually leads me to imagine a heretofore unimagined au where his son Ruy Rivera is _flamboyantly_ evil.

While villain Hector would never bring farm animals or unpredictable fire accessories indoors, an evil Ruy would absolutely _live_ for the kind of truly crazy parties he could pull off with that kind of aesthetic to chase after.

_(Content warning for those wanting to look up the video: things get briefly and predictably steamy between the singer and his flame of the night to maintain the sexy bad boy aesthetic, but otherwise it is hilariously entertaining.)_

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176174959794/not-a-question-as-much-as-me-absolutely-having-to)

@white-throated-packrat riiiight? it’s so painfully on the nose that I’m crying.

And the greatest part is that Ruy still wouldn’t even actually be a bad person really, he would just _think_ he was evil because of all his cool expensive stuff but then he’s the guy that gives each of the roosters and the horse their own bedrooms.

He’s the kid who is convinced that he’s a bad boy edgelord because he buys out Hot Topic and wears eyeliner, but who then gleefully volunteers to unironically decorate the school dance posters with elaborate amounts of glitter and cries while watching the chick-flics he puts on during the afterparty.

[a lot of paralells to the Decendants au actually where he's convinced he's a villain](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/a-lot-of-paralells-to-the-Decendants-au-actually-where-he%27s-convinced-he%27s-a-villain)

22nd

**Anonymous** asked:

If Buzzfeed unsolved exists in the Coco universe in the cannon one they'd probably do an episode on Hector's death and in the Villain AU they'd have to dedicate an entire season to all the "mysterious deaths." Not directly pointing to the Rivera's having done it but they'd probably be like the theory or the suspects. Also I bet in the cannon AU they'd probably have older Miguel come in for the postmortem!

I’m not sure if the Unsolved guys would take on canon Hector’s death, since the truth comes out to varying degrees via Miguel parsing out the truth as best he can without telling the crazy truth. There’s not really too much of a mystery there, but it sure would make for one heck of an episode of [Drunk History](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/173800949444/you-know-what-would-be-kind-of-hilarious-if-drunk).

As for the villain side, if villain Imelda and Hector did their job right then there would be nothing “unsolved” for buzzfeed to look into, meaning that Hector and Imelda would likely be very entertained to see how hilariously wrong the episodes about their victims are since being able to trace it back to them would be nearly impossible without insider knowledge.

The trademark of their criminal career was the fact that they were never suspiciously linked to anything bad, and that those who might have been suspicious were silenced. Their own deaths were no different.

To any outsider the car accident that killed Hector and Imelda Rivera was just that, a car accident. And although there are some conspiracy theories into them perhaps being killed on purpose by the driver of the other car (who also died in the accident) even those people miss the fact that Hector and Imelda were coming from a part of town they had no reason to be near.

Because their death was so obviously an accident (which it was) that there was never a police investigation around it, meaning that no one was looking for the suspicious evidence they could have found otherwise.

Well, there actually was _one_ member of the autopsy unit who discovered the remains of two lighters in what was left of Imelda’s purse that had been retreived from the burned remains of the car wreck. The worker paused over it because the Rivera family was known for never smoking, meaning Imelda had no reason to have them with her. But they ended up shrugging off this small fact, never realizing they’d just found the tools that the Riveras had used to start a deadly house fire just before their deaths.


	7. August 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All tumblr posts and asks published during August 2018 in chronological order.
> 
> This is one of my favorite months because of the meta readers generated around the discussion of "who is the real villain of villain au?"

1st

[**dogbearinggifts**](https://dogbearinggifts.tumblr.com/) asked:

So I was listening to "Down" by Anberlin in the car today, and…I don't know, it just made me think of Rodrigo.

*screams softly*

I love it so much…

Just, someone let this boy be happy. He deserves it.

5th

**Anonymous** asked:

I love your Villain! Au and find the dynamic between Ruy and his father interesting, though I wondered - when did things start going sour? I know Ruy was driven to his vices more because of his family's behaviour, but when did it start?

I’m glad you’re enjoying the au!

There’s a few factors that play into Rodrigo’s situation. First of all, he was a surprise child. Hector and Imelda had some trouble having Hector Jr and decided that four children was enough for them, especially with Leti already showing signs of terminal illness.

They weren’t planning on having Rodrigo, but of course welcomed him into their lives as warmly as any of their other children, but there was undeniably an extra layer of unplanned stress brought on by his arrival. It’s led to the thought of “and if we hadn’t had Ruy” far more times than either of his parents would ever admit to.

He was an adorable little kid though, and both his parents loved him very much. He actually spent a lot of time around his father when he was very young, he was the only child that inherited Hector’s enthusiasm and talent for music and he was a delightfully spunky tag-along to Hector’s events and performances.

Things all changed when Leti’s illness worsened at the same time that Rodrigo approached his teenage years. With his parent’s attention completely devoted to his dying sister, Rodrigo’s teenage hormones and mood swings (which would have been terrible anyway) quickly reached catastrophic levels as he began acting out in a desperate bid for attention. That’s when he started fighting with his father.

Hector wasn’t able to keep up with the constant teenage strife between his career and Leti and after a few years he ended up shutting Rodrigo out emotionally when he couldn’t take it anymore, which only led to worse antics from his youngest son.

Imelda’s always tried to be the peacekeeper, but after Rodrigo turned nineteen his behavior became truly out of control. She ended up having to resign herself to the fact that she couldn’t change him or his behavior in order to keep herself from crying every time she thought about him.

It’s a terrible situation and no one person is wholly to blame really. It’s a mix of bad timing, worse timing, and the fact that villain!Hector is emotionally unbalanced and overreactionary from his lifetime of morally dark acts.

In other universes Hector and Imelda are able to work together to see Rodrigo through his difficult teen years, never giving up on him even though he drives Hector crazy, but in the villain!au they feel that giving up on him is the only option they have so that they can do their best to protect the family from the damage he causes with his attention seeking behavior. 

5th

**Anonymous** asked:

Would Ruy and Iria have kids?

In universes where things work out and they get married they do! They have a son named Rishi, and he drives his father absolutely crazy.

Where Ruy inherited all of his papa’s mooning romance and sensitive artistic nature, Rishi is every bit his Nana Tiana’s boy in temperament, and then some.

Rishi is deadpan, no-nonsense, has no interest in music (especially with his father desperately trying to help him find “his” instrument by the age of five) and honestly just wants to go outside and play in the dirt.

He also has a fiery temper and is regularly in trouble at school for beating up classmates (which honestly is more the result of rough play gone too far, not maliciousness) until he’s fourteen and members of the Maldonian embassy show up to sit Rishi down and explain to him what an “international incident” is.

He takes up boxing shortly after, focusing on it more than the three other sports he’d been team captain of to that point, and goes on to excel in it, claiming world titles and dominating the sport for several years. (Much to his papa’s horror, Ruy is terribly proud of his son, but can barely get himself to watch a boxing match where people are _hitting his son_ for more than half a second at a time through his fingers.)

Ruy is also blown away by the fact that Rishi isn’t head-over-heels in love with anyone by the time he’s sixteen and is scared that there’s something wrong with him, but the reality is that Rishi just doesn’t think about romance until he’s about twenty, meets a cute girl that gets him, and it’s as simple as that. Very un-Rivera like.

Hector and Imelda are on the receiving end of so many tearful phone calls from Ruy who has trouble connecting with his son, who he is convinced hates him, and its all they can do to keep from laughing as they remember the terrible years of raising Ruy. But Hector is sincerely delighted to be able to bond with his boy and eagerly stays on the phone for hours with him to talk things over.

Once Ruy learns to appreciate the fact that Rishi just isn't as Extra as he is (like Iria keeps patiently telling him) things get better. They especially bond over the horses that Ruy keeps on the property since Rishi grew up with them and wanted to be a jockey before he got way too tall. He’s a good kid with a good dad, and Iria loves both of her boys very much.

6th

[**WEE-CHLO**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) **asks @slusheeduck** :

I know I already did this but EH: 18, 24 and 33 of the OC Meme for Seb and Ruy

  1. **What are your OC’s greatest fears? Weaknesses? Strengths?**



Ruy: His heart is equal parts his biggest strength and greatest weakness. He feels just about every emotion deeply, which is a plus with positive ones and a huge minus with negative ones. It’s part of the reason he wrote such beautiful music–and why he wound up plunging off a cliff. As for fears, Ruy’s greatest fear is that he’ll end up losing everyone he loves–the two people he loved most in life gave him love that felt conditional (even if they didn’t mean for it to come across that way.) and so he has a tendency to keep company with people who will either encourage his worst behavior or people who he knows won’t get close enough to hurt him.

Seba: Sebastian’s pretty level-headed, which is a great benefit considering he’s almost always surrounded by very emotional creative types. He’s able to approach things pretty calmly and think them through. His weakness, though, is that he overthinks just about _everything._ He’s a walking pillar of self-doubt–if he’d lived, he likely would have never made it very far as a musician because he’d be constantly second-guessing each of his decisions. Ultimately, he needs someone like Ruy to push him out of his comfort zones and encourage him to take risks. As for fears, he’s already come face to face with his biggest fear in life–not being able to amount to anything before he died. So there’s not much now that frightens him (except getting a phone call in the middle of the night from Ruy asking him to take his great-nephews over to Iria, and _por Dios_ , do not contact him after he hangs up. _That_ scares him.)

  1. **What is their outlook on life? What is their philosophy / what do they think in general about living?**



Ruy: In life, Ruy was entirely about _living._ While a lot of what he did was seeking out the attention he craved, it was also about having _fun_. Nothing was better than feeling the blood rushing through your veins, than running out in a cold New York night crowing at the top of your lungs, than kisses in places that you _definitely_ should not be kissing at.

Things changed a little bit once he was dead. He was still (ironically) all about living, but he also tries to be a little kinder to people he thinks need it. He’s by no means a prime example of charity, but fifty years is too long to only be about the rush. Also, it makes people like him, and that’s really what he’s been looking for this whole time.

Seba: Sebastian kinda put off the whole “life motto” thing because he had no idea where he wanted life to take him. For the most part, he stuck to small goals and let everything else fall where it may. In death, he’s only embraced unpredictability all the more–especially once he becomes friends with Ruy.

  1. **Would they ever kill someone? What would someone have to do to push them to kill someone? If they would kill someone, why?**



Ruy: No, never. He’s too soft, too pliable to even bring himself to think of the possibility of needing to kill anyone. Even if he were in his father’s shoes (in Villain AU), he wouldn’t have that same steely drive to kill for his family’s sake. Even in a hypothetical “Kill this person or you die” scenario, he would gladly die if someone else got to live.

Seba: This is one of those “never going to happen” scenarios that keep Seba up at 3 a.m. While he’s a big fan of games like Halo, _actually_ killing people _in real life_ is something he thinks he couldn’t ever do. The only way he could even consider killing someone is if they were going to kill him first. (He spent a day sick with anxiety as a kid after watching “Night of the Living Dead” and staying up all night freaking out over what he would do if his mama became a zombie and if he had to kill her.)

7th

**Anonymous** asked:

One of the many things that I love about your Villain AU is everything that goes around Victoria! I love how you write about her! I am very curious about her story. Do you have a mind to make a story in their own right, as for Rodrigo, a chapter or simply explain the whole story during the main story? (She scares me, and so much ...)

“Victoria Rivera: The Villain!au Side Chapters – Rated R”

Oh buddy.

No buddy.

She’s a fantastically terrifying character in this au and I’m glad you love her too, but there’s a reason she got that way and there’s also a good reason that I keep it hazy on the details. If I were to actually hash out the details of Victoria’s story that would make for very dark writing and I stay away from that stuff. I write intense and scary, not dark and graphic.

(Although now that I think about it there’s a few more hints about what happened to her in the next chapter if you read it carefully.)

Ruy’s story, on the other hand, is the kind of healing/heartbreaking romance that recharges me, which is the real reason that he and Iria have so much extra content and side chapters. That wasn’t really on purpose, it kind of just keeps happening. x)

8th

**Anonymous** asked:

Could you tell us a bit more about Villain AU Héctor and Imelda’s murders after Ernesto? I know they justified their actions as protecting the family, but what did their victims do that made them a threat? (aside from the stalker, that’s somewhat understandable) When I read that one of them was a reporter I assumed that they were killed due to asking about Ernesto’s “disappearance” but then I think you wrote that they were slandering Imelda? Seems a bit petty.

The reality is that as time went on Hector and Imelda’s murders became more and more easily rationalized. The thing to keep in mind is that none of their murders (not even Ernesto’s) were truly justified, and once you cross that line of deliberately taking a life there’s no more lines to cross. Some were more petty than others, but ultimately they were all terrible.

Thier (incomplete) murder track record is roughly as follows:

**Ernesto De la Cruz** \- Tried to murder Hector, poisoned with own shotglass

**Seedy Mexico City Lawyer** \- His client Senora Maria-Teresa Veracruz tried to legally claim Hector Rivera as the father of her child in a bid for publicity and money. (It was actually Ernesto that she’d slept with, but obviously Hector was the one to target now that he was a rising star.) The Rivera family tried to get her to drop the case, but the lawyer was rabid and determined to take it to the press since he could smell that they were close to getting a settlement since he knew the Riveras couldn’t risk Hector’s wholesome public reputation being ruined. He was found dead in his office by a janitor one Sunday morning, apparently having drunk himself to death on his favorite liquor. The case was abandoned.

(Something something time passing, something something property disputes, something something suspected OD and suicide.)

**Reporter slandering Imelda** \- Imelda is very very bad at holding her alcohol and occasionally slips by drinking too much at public events, reducing her to a sloppy drunk who runs her mouth until Hector can rush her home. At one of their earlier galas as established celebrities, a reporter overheard her saying how she and Hector did “bad things.” When they quizzed Hector about it a minute later after she left Hector’s mind blanked as he panicked and his best on-the-spot response was “she was talking about…in the…bedroom…?” Imelda ripped into him for coming up with such a terrible response once she sobered up, but it was too late and had already gleefully hit that papers by then. Most of it blew over after a news cycle or two, but there was one mudraker in particular who could not it die despite clandestinely being contacted and warned to give it up. Their stories stopped when a trip to the country ended tragically when his car malfunctioned and sent him careening into a lake.

**Imelda’s Stalker** \- Sent threatening letters to Imelda and followed her despite a formal restraining order, attempted an assault on her while they were walking to their car one evening. After getting Imelda home safely Hector tracked him down on his own and disassembled him with an ax. Thier only victim who knew who killed him.

(A few victims hardly worth mentioning, Hector and Imelda certainly don’t.)

**A follower threatening Ruy** \- Very early in Ruy’s career (when he was still a teenager) he acquired a very devoted and very vocal follower who started coming to all of his performances, sending fanmail that bordered on lunacy, and apparently was under the illusion that they were in a relationship. When Ruy wisely ignored them the follower became more and more vocal, to the point of beginning to draw negative attention at events. But only a couple events, after which they disappeared completely, a particularly insane and venomous letter from them having been intercepted by a very concerned Hector and Imelda who saw to it that no one would touch their son. 

**Reporter putting too many pieces together about their murders** \- There was a reporter who started a biography work on the Rivera family, but their work started to shift when they began seeing so many missing pieces around Hector’s career that ended in untimely deaths and disappearances. Hector and Imelda got wind of it and burned the reporter’s house down with them (and two colleagues) in it, only twenty minutes before their own untimely demise in the car accident.

They never planned to kill anyone other than Ernesto, but killing to solve big problems becomes too convenient after you’re willing to give it a try even once.

9th

**Rules:** Pick a character you’ve created, fill in the questions/statements as if you were that character, and tag at least four people to do this meme aggressively instruct everyone with a pet OC to do this meme because it’s fun to do when you should be getting ready for bed.

 _Aggressively instructed by_ [ _@slusheeduck_ ](https://tmblr.co/m6RoCOMrf9aNc6jybGk6vRQ)

  1. **What is your name?** Rodrigo Arturo Rivera, but _please_ just call me Ruy, only my father and my landlord call me “Rodrigo.”
  2. **Do you know why you were named that?** I don’t think “Rodrigo” came from anyplace special, my older brother already got Papi’s name so they probably just slapped on whatever sounded nice in a newspaper announcement. My middle name came from my father’s father though.
  3. **Single or taken?** It’s complicated.
  4. **Stop being a Mary Sue!** A “Mary Sue?” I’d _love_ the be a Mary Sue. Maybe then I could have actually done something worthwhile with my life.
  5. **What’s your eye color?** Dark brown
  6. **How about hair color?** Very dark brown
  7. **Have you any family members?** Unfortunately yes.
  8. **Oh, how about pets?** Caprice is _not_ a pet, she’s a companion…or a babysitter. A very vocal babysitter with feathers.
  9. **That’s cool, I guess. Now tell me something you don’t like.** You _guess?_ I’ll have you know that Caprice is not only the greatest horse that ever lived, but the greatest feathered babysitter to ever die either.
  10. **Do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do?** Does drinking count as a hobby? I kid, I kid, mostly. I throw a lot of parties, they help me connect with the community and get my mind off things.
  11. **Have you ever hurt anyone in any way before?** Yeah.
  12. **Ever … killed anyone before?** …no??
  13. **What kind of animal are you?** Party animal. If we’re talking more abstract, I’ve always thought cats had it pretty good, they get to nap all day on top of people they like. What I’d give for that kind of life.
  14. **Name your worst weaknesses?** *sigh* Getting right to it aren’t we? Well my alcoholism isn’t much of a secret, but hey, sin higado sin prolema, eh?I used to be into drugs when I was alive, I don’t touch that stuff much anymore though, it’s not worth the crash.
  15. **Do you look up to anyone at all?** I don’t know, my father’s done a lot on his career, I used to look up to him a lot when I was a kid. But these days…I don’t knw, there’s a lot of great artists I draw inspiration from.
  16. **Are you straight, gay or bisexual?** Very straight. Contrary to a certain popular rumor spread by a certain someone who will remain unamed, but whose name starts with an “F” and rhymes with “Jancisco Hernandez.” 
  17. **Do you go to school?** I finished Julliard almost a century ago. Good school. Could have used more accessible snacks.
  18. **Ever want to marry and have kids one day?** It’s ah, a little too late for that I’m afraid. It would have been nice though. I’d always kind of planned on it really.
  19. **Do you have fangirls/fanboys?** For sure, I see about two hundred of them every time I throw a party too. A lot of them are real cool people.
  20. **What are you most afraid of?** I dunno. That’s a hard question for someone who died young. I guess losing Caprice and my friend Seba is the worst thing I could imagine. They’re always there for me to keep me grounded.
  21. **What do you usually wear?** Wool poncho, maybe a loose button-up. Pants if I have to. Thick socks are a gift from God.
  22. **What’s one food that tempts you?** “Tempts”? Well, I guess if we’re going to get specific about my drinking vices, a mint julep is what I would drop anything for.
  23. **Am I annoying you?** Eh, not really. I don’t have anywhere else to be this afternoon and this is hardly the worst interview I’ve had.
  24. **Well, it’s not over!** Ask on, amigo _._
  25. **What class are you (low class, middle class, high class)?** I was born into high class and despite my best efforts have been unable to escape.
  26. **How many friends do you have?** I’ve got a million friendly acquaintances, hundreds of friends, but a handful of really close friends. Seba’s my best friend though, Sebastian, I mentioned him on one of the other questions.
  27. **What are your thoughts on pie?** Not really my dessert of choice, but other people like it.
  28. **Favorite drink?** Mint julep all the way, though I haven’t had one in ages, mint doesn’t grow on this side of the afterlife. I sometimes manage to get my hands on it from other areas though.
  29. **What’s your favorite place?** Central Park, New York, New York. Sometimes on Dia de Muertos I’ll cross over to the Land of the Living and just spend the evening watching the leaves fall off the trees there. That’s my favorite place, hands down.
  30. **Are you interested in anyone?** I…it’s complicated.
  31. **That was a stupid question…** No, you’re fine, there’s just someone that means a lot to me that I haven’t been able to see in a long time. I made some mistakes and it’s hard to think about sometimes.
  32. **Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean?** I like how still a lake is, but that if you watch closely there’s life everywhere making its music. Birds and insects and plants and everything being musically quiet together. But I guess you asked about swimming. I’m not much of a swimmer I guess, I’d probably go with ocean if it was swimming.
  33. **What’s your type?** Sweet, caring, intelligent, up for an adventure, down for relaxing together. Someone that matches my music and makes me want to be better.
  34. **Any fetishes?** Nice try, but I’ve been doing interviews a lot longer than you seem to have.
  35. **Camping or indoors?** Indoors, nature is great and all, but why would you want to sleep in dirt when you could bundle up in blankets on the couch instead?



10th

**Anonymous** asked:

If Villian Imelda’s Stalker knows Villain Héctor killed him why didn’t he tell anyone when he arrived in the Land of the Dead?

Oh, he did.

The only thing that saved Hector and Imelda was the fact that he was such an intensely unsavory character that few people were inclined to listen. Arriving in the land of the dead as the known assaulter of a universally beloved celebrity’s wife doesn’t earn you a lot of friends.

So when he arrived with wild stories of how he had not only attacked Imelda Rivera the night he died, but that _Tio Hector himself_ had attacked him later that night, he was dismissed as a disgusting character looking to get some kind of sick reputation with outlandish claims.

There’s also the fact that the Land of the Dead justice system doesn’t handle cases that happened before death for a variety of reasons, meaning that even if anyone actually _had_ believed him no real investigation would have been launched anyway. His crazy story eventually faded into “oh yeah, that one loon years back who said some celebrity killed him.”

The assaulter’s abrasive personality and overall disgusting character landed him on the seedy outskirts of town where he spends his day to day afterlife getting drunk on cheap alcohol and telling the increasingly far-fetched story of how he died to anyone that will tolerate him. Which became increasingly few.

He did suddenly stop telling his story all together though, sometime at the end of 1951. The few people who noticed figured that the recent death of Hector and Imelda Rivera finally made him wise up to how inappropriate it was.

No one ever connected his silence to a certain visit that an unknown figure paid his shanty in the middle of the night the day before.

9th

##  [Fermata: A Ruy Chapter](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176822874714/fermata-a-ruy-chapter)

_“Fermata: A symbol that tells the performer to hold the note as long as s/he would like, but certainly longer than the written note value.”_

_A supplementary chapter to the Coco Villain!au. Two snapshots of Ruy and Iria’s relationship while alive, one near the beginning, one at the very end._

**New York - June 1947 - Four years before Ruy’s death**

Iria stared blearily at her bedroom wall, confused at why she had woken up in the middle of the night.

A breeze blew through the trees outside her window, the June night air rustling through the leaves. Her eyes were just drifting closed again when she heard something distinctly non-breeze-like outside her window, the quiet plucking of a ukulele.

She sat up, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, dimly lit by the constant New York city glow seeping through the window blinds.

Why was he outside her window at three in the morning?

She had important meetings tomorrow. If she was smart she would stay in bed, she could ask him what he wanted in the morning. But…even if she was half asleep, she’d rather see him.

Iria stifled a massive yawn as she got out of bed and pulled on her bedrobe, the Maldonian crest stitched on one side. It took a minute to undo the several sophisticated locks on her balcony door, this was an official embassy building after all, but soon she was pushing open the sliding glass door and walking out onto her balcony.

She leaned on the railing, looking down for the soft sound of ukulele. There was no way she would have been able to hear it if her street wasn’t a quiet one, away from the hustle and bustle of the heart of the city.

There, two stories down and leaning into a rhododendron bush, was Rodrigo Rivera. He seemed to be staring at nothing, plucking idly at his instrument, the dappled street lamp light filtering down through the oak trees around him.

“Why aren’t you asleep?” Iria called softly.

There was a muffled twang as Ruy jumped, looking up in surprise, and then embarrassment.

“Lo siento, Estrella. I didn’t mean to wake you!” he stage-whispered, scrambling to his feet and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“You’re playing music outside my window in the middle of the night, what did you think was going to happen?” Iria whispered back. “You’re lucky it was _me_ that woke up.”

“I was playing quietly.” Ruy said, holding up his ukelele as if to show her. “I apologize, I needed to think and my place is too empty. Please, go back to sleep, I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“Well you’ve already gone and bothered me,” Iria said, resting her chin on her folded arms, looking down at him with a smile. “do you have any other bothering in mind?”

Ruy grinned up at her, blowing a kiss in her direction. “Well…if you want to come with me, there is a place I would love to take you.”

“I’ll meet you at the entrance in five minutes.”

***

“Ruy, when you said “a place” I thought you meant going to a park, not breaking into _Carnegie Hall_!” Iria hissed.

“Shhh, it is not breaking in, we are just, visiting after hours.” Ruy said, a truly mischievous grin on his face as he pushed open a back door and pulled her into the shadows inside, confidently leading her deeper into the darkness. “It’s fine, I am conducting here later this week, they love me.”

“Oh? And do the security guards love you too?” Iria whispered, keeping close to him out of fear of running into something as he led her along, her heart racing in excitement. The wiser part of her knew she should pull him back…but where was the fun in that?

“I am _Rodrigo Rivera_ , they have to love me.” Ruy said, she could hear the grin in his voice.

They turned into a dimly lit hallway with the whitewashed walls and linoleum flooring of a backstage area.

“Welcome to Carnegie Hall.” Ruy said, pulling her close and gesturing grandly at the utilitarian space with the ukulele in his other hand. “This is what musical success looks like, this is what the greatest musicians in the world get to see when they have made it to the top.”

“I’m incredibly impressed.” Iria chuckled, she smoothed a hand up his chest, “But if you were looking for someplace romantic I could have made a few other suggestions.”

“Ah ah, but you do not _sound_ impressed.” Ruy teased, running an arm around her waist. “You are too good for backstage.”

“Backstage is fine, I just- Ruy, stop it!” She laughed as he nuzzled her neck, only half-heartedly trying to push him away.

“You are right,” he said, kissing her cheek before taking her hand again and pulling her down the hallway, “you are too beautiful for backstage.”

“Where are we going now?” Iria asked as he led them through several doors and into a carpeted hallway with much nicer decor, “We have to be quiet Ruy, we don’t-”

She gasped as he pushed open a heavier door, leading her into the huge expanse that was Carnegie Hall proper, the massive and ornate auditorium.

She’d been there to attend performances before, a few of them with or for Ruy, but seeing the enormous room completely empty, instead of crammed with patrons, was completely different. The balcony lights were all switched off and only half of the stage lights were lit, casting the room in deep shadows, the stage an island of warm cream light.

“We aren’t supposed to be here.” Iria whispered, feeling like she didn’t have the right to make noise in such a silent and grand room. It felt almost like a library, but…for sound, instead of books.

“This is exactly where we’re supposed to be.” Ruy said, not lowering his voice at all. Sounding exactly like he belonged, or maybe like the hall belonged to him.

No. Sounding like _he_ belonged to the _hall_.

Ruy led her up and onto the stage, setting his ukelele on the polished wooden floor and pulling her to the very center, putting them both into the middle of the light.

“Here we are.” he said softly, putting his hands on her hips. “No backstage for you, front and center, for everyone to see you.”

“You’re the only one here.” Iria said, reaching up and running her fingers through his hair.

“I hope that is alright.”

“It’s perfect.”

She leaned in and kissed him slowly, savoring the feel of his lips against hers, letting him deepen the kiss as he pulled her closer, gently tracing her fingertips along the line of his jaw. Ruy gently ran his hand up her sides, his mouth smiling against hers.

Iria gently pulled back from the kiss, looking into his starry eyes as she brushed back his shaggy bangs.

“Happy Birthday Ruy.” she said.

His eyes widened, his smile faltering. “How…did you know?”

“You’re an international musical celebrity Ruy,” Iria said, taking his hands, “it’s on the public record, even if you try to cover it up.”

“I just…don’t like everyone making a big deal out of it.” Ruy said, looking away.

“It reminds you of your family, doesn’t it?” Iria said softly.

“A bit.” Ruy said with a sigh, leaning against her, putting one hand on her waist and taking her hand in the other as he began to sway them back and forth. A simple, intimate waltz.

“That’s why you couldn’t sleep.” Iria said, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

“There are too many thoughts I have no place for,” Ruy said softly, “not when I can think about you instead.”

“Well I’m flattered you thought of me before alcohol.” Iria teased gently.

“Oh, Irititia,” Ruy said, pulling back to look at her face, “you are muy better than tequila. You cost less, there is no hangover, you make better conversation,” he leaned in with a smile, “your lips even have a better taste.”

Iria swatted his shoulder with a sound of mock indignation, but quickly dissolved into laughter, unable to stop laughing even as he kissed her again.

“Well, I’m glad I know where we stand.” Iria said, although she did feel genuinely pleased, she knew what a struggle he had with drink and even a joke like that didn’t come lightly from him, “I have a present for you.”

“You are the only present I need, you didn’t have to get me anything.” Ruy said, but he already looked curious.

“You know how you’re always begging me to sing?” Iria asked, smiling as his eyes already lit up. “I’m giving you a song for your birthday.”

“Rita, en serio?” he said, taking her hands, his voice ecstatic, “What song? What are you going to sing? And you have a stage too! I knew bringing you here was perfecto!”

“I’ll play too if I can borrow your ukulele.” Iria said.

Ruy nearly dove across the stage in his haste to retrieve the ukelele for her. He rushed back to her, handing it to her with a kiss on the forehead before excitedly jumping down off the stage, going to the front row of audience seating and perching himself on the back of one of the red velvet benches.

Iria smiled to herself as she kicked off her shoes and tested the strings on the instrument. She still didn’t know everything about Ruy, why he drank, why he didn’t sleep, why he held her like she was his last lifeline on earth, but it was alright.

She was patient and he was honest, and there would be plenty of time to talk things over when he walked her back home.

***

**New York - October 1950 - Nine months before Ruy’s death**

“Ruy, we can’t do this anymore.”

Ruy sat on the edge of the hospital bed, picking at the tape holding the IV in his arm instead of looking at Iria.

“You shouldn’t have to.” he said softly, trying to ignore the way his hands were still twitching involuntarily. “I’m sorry.”

“Ruy, look at me.”

He looked up. Iria would always be beautiful, but he couldn’t ignore the way her hair was haphazardly pulled back in a messy all-nighter ponytail, how she was still dressed in her now hopelessly wrinkled embassy clothes, her tired eyes, her permanently worried expression.

He wanted to take her in her arms, to kiss her worry away…but he had no right to even think about that when he was the cause of all of it.

“I was only gone for a week Ruy,” Iria said, “you were unconscious on the bathroom floor with so much junk everywhere that I didn’t know what to tell the paramedics you were high on.” 

“Probably cocaine I think.” Ruy said, wanting to look away, but not daring to.

“Where did you even-” Iria’s hiss trailed off into a sigh as she rubbed her eyes in exhaustion.

“Someone kept bringing some to the parties this week.” Ruy said, trying to remember anything from the hazy last few days, but it was a struggle. “I must have gone too far last night.”

“Not last night Ruy, no one’s heard from you in two days.”

Two days.

He’d been nervous when Iria announced she would be traveling for a week, but had done his best to put on a brave face for her. After all, they were both adults, he should be able to handle himself alone for a whole week.

But after only a couple days without her to calm him, to distract him, to help him stay grounded, his own thoughts had gotten too loud. Too loud to sleep or eat or even hear the music in his head anymore. And so even though he’d promised not to, he’d thrown a party Wednesday night, and another on Thursday, the loud noise and sea of faces and waves of alcohol distracting him from the dark thoughts crowding in on him from every side with no one around to anchor him.

He’d thought he’d thrown a party on Friday too, but if no one had heard from him in two days…

He hadn’t slipped up so badly in so long, not since he and Iria had gotten together, he hadn’t done the really hard stuff in ages, she’d always been more than enough excitement for him.

“I think we need to take a break Ruy.” Iria said, snapping his attention back to her.

“You mean for the weekend?” Ruy asked.

“I mean for a long time.” Iria said, biting her lip, her arms tightly folded. “I think, I think you rely on me too much, I think maybe you need some space.”

No. _No._

Ruy gripped the edges of the hospital bed, fighting the overwhelming sense of vertigo gripping him.

“I know you can be better, I’ve _seen_ you be better,” Iria said, her voice turning to a plea, “but maybe I’m holding you back. I can’t see you tearing yourself apart like this Ruy, I _need_ you to pull yourself together, for both of us. Until then I think maybe I need to take a step back.”

_But you’re what keeps me together._

_I only want to tear myself apart when you’re gone._

_When I’m with you I feel sane, I feel important, I feel worth something._

_Please don’t leave._

But he couldn’t say any of the panicked things we wanted to.

She had never asked for this, to deal with a grown man who couldn’t even hold himself together for a week. She didn’t deserve to be with someone who couldn’t even stand to look in the mirror. He had known all along that he didn’t deserve her, that every moment they had together was stolen time.

He’d known all along that he would mess everything up somehow. And he’d finally done it.

He had no right to try and keep Iria when he already knew he didn’t deserve her, he couldn’t say a single word that might make her feel like he was trapping her. Even though every bit of him was aching to get on his knees and plead with her to stay. Even if he already knew that her leaving would be the end of everything.

Even if he knew her leaving would be the end of him.

“I can’t keep you here.” Ruy said, closing his eyes tightly against the tears that rolled down his face, too physically exhausted to even try keeping them back any more. “If you need to leave, then go, I am sorry.”

He felt her sit down on the bed next to him, pulling him close, cradling his head against her as he held her tightly.

“I don’t _want_ to go,” Iria said quietly, “but if that’s what needs to happen then I’ll do it. You need to be better Ruy, I know you can be. This break will…it’ll be good for both of us. You can get cleaned up, I can focus on my work. When things have gotten better we’ll see each other again.”

Ruy said nothing, biting back the words in his head as he tried to memorize what she felt like.

Because he knew this was the end and his heart was breaking. He wasn’t going to get better, not without her, she was the only thing that had ever made him feel like he was home and now he was losing her. She would go on with her own life and be successful and amazing and beautiful, and she would meet someone much better than him. Someone who actually deserved her, because she deserved it.

“Alright.” he said, forcing the most painful half-smile of his life as he broke their hug, feeling like he’d just snapped off a piece of his soul. “We will take a break.”

“Are you sure?” Iria said, gently taking his face in her hands.

That alone was nearly enough to break him, nearly enough to get him to tell the truth, that this was going to kill him, that he needed her more than anything else in his life, that he was weak, that he couldn’t imagine any kind of future for himself that didn’t have her in it.

But she deserved _better_.

“Si, you’re always right Rita.” he said, “If you say you need space then space is what we must have.”

“Alright.” Iria said, tears coming to her eyes. “If that’s what you need.”

It _wasn’t._

“Thank you for bringing me here.” Ruy said, pulling his hands away, picking at the IV tape again. “I’ll call someone to take me home.”

“I can still take you home.” Iria said.

“No, I need to not rely on you, si? I will be alright.” Ruy said, his false smile stronger now. He had to put on a show for her, if she drove him home he would break.

“I…alright.” Iria said, standing, looking lost. “I guess…I’ll see you later then?”

“It will be a happy reunion, we will both be better for it.” Ruy lied, pulling himself up onto the bed. “I am sorry, but I am very tired. Thank you again Iria, travel safely.”

She looked like she wanted to say something more as she hovered in the doorway. He wanted her to say something, anything, so he could hear her voice one last time.

But instead she bit her lip, the way she always did when she was trying not to cry.

And then she was gone.

Ruy stared at the closed door as the IV dripped into him, as his damaged body ached, as his broken heart bled.

She deserved better than him.

He slowly laid on his side, staring at the blank hospital wall as everything fell apart for good.

She deserved better than him.

10th

**Anonymous** asked:

Will Ruy be written into any other fics aside from the villain!au?

He’s firmly rooted in my headcanon, meaning that if there’s ever fic I write with married and alive Imector he’ll certainly be included automatically.

I don’t particularly have any plans for any Ruy-centric fic writing right now other than all the side chapters he’s been getting in villain!au,but I have kinda been idly toying with the idea of a full-length historical fiction Ruia novel at this point as an original work shhhh.

10th

**Anonymous** asked:

Never have I ever wanted Imelda to NOT forgive Hector... until this last chapter of Villain AU

Riiiight?

It was actually a very very important scene, to quote Ao3 user Ibrithir’s comment on the last chapter (since they put it very well):

_“…Seeing how much Hector flip-flops in these last two chapters to try and keep everybody “happy”, how co-dependent he is with Imelda, how desperate he is not to lose her–it almost makes the whole thing even more terrifying._

_Like…this is someone who has murdered multiple people in terrible ways, awful ways, who feels zero remorse about it, who’s really honestly worse then Canon Ernesto ever was…and yet he’s so…pathetic._

_Like, I actually kind of agreed with Victoria. He rolls over like a dog, and not just for Imelda, but for anyone who’s gonna rock his boat who he can’t just kill. And it just makes the whole tragedy so much worse._

_Like, he’s a total monster but he doesn’t act the way we think monsters should, because of that twisted “devotion”._

_On an even awefuler note, my secondary line of shower thoughts harkened back to those “Teacher and Canon meet Villian” posts you put up, and I just couldn’t help but think that both Teacher and Canon, if they saw the full impact of what had happened to everyone in the villian verse, wouldn’t be able to help thinking that maybe what happened in Canon was better for everyone, if it meant keeping this while mess from happening.”_

You start the story loving Hector automatically, but one by one everything you love about him is slowly stripped away as you watch. His moral goodness, his honesty, his fatherly love, his moral backbone, his friendliness, and in this scene you see his independence and pride stripped away when Imelda threatens to leave him. It leaves his degraded moral backbone completely exposed without even his determination (which has been his defining trait up to this point) exposed for all to see.

You see exactly how frail even his mind has become, he’s spent so many years duct taping all his mistakes back into place with his own gaslighting that when you cut through all the tape you suddenly see the emaciated soul that has been suffocating underneath it all and it’s disgusting.

Hector craves approval and love, and at the end of the day that is the _only_ constant left in his character. He is willing to sell or trade or change anything else about himself or his life in order to get that validation and love, from Imelda especially, who he has built his entire emotional and mental stability around ever since he killed Ernesto.

He is no longer his own man in any sense of the word, and it’s deeply unsettling, especially when you realize that Imelda is emotionally dependant on him as well, as seen by how quickly she forgave him. She never developed her hard edge from being a widow, and a century of hoarded secrets between the two of them has left its mark on her as well.

Hector and Imelda began this story with many readers sheepishly cheering them on, after all, they were in love and protective and charismatic and exciting, but by the time you read this scene in particular you realize that when you look more closely there is nothing at all admirable about them or their relationship, that everything about them is in fact an elaborately orchestrated lie, and that they were the first ones fooled by it. 

11th

**Anonymous** asked:

aaahhhhh i am so thirsty for more villain AU content! has anyone else written for it or are you the lone ranger here?

It’s just me and my trusty ~~steed Silver~~ co-writer @slusheeduck

Slush helps me immensely with the story building behind the scenes, but I’m the one that writes most all of it down. You can find _tons_ of extra villain au content on my blog in the form of asks and one-shots and some lovely fanart by searching for “#villain!au” since I’ve been carefully tagging the entire au. I’d frankly be surprised if you’ve read it all, so I recommend giving that a look.

If you haven't read the [Rodrigo Rivera side chapters](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F15034754%2Fchapters%2F34854314&t=ODRkY2FmM2QwYTNjYTc2ZGRhOGYyN2RmMDcyMWI2YzhmZmJkNmNjYyx0YWlRNnNKRw%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F176866779679%2Faaahhhhh-i-am-so-thirsty-for-more-villain-au&m=1) yet I’d recommend checking those out too for more Ruy goodness and character development within the villain-verse, Slush has written several of those as well, (you can always spot her writing when you see boys being best friends with delightfully healthy platonic relationships.)

There are also several fan works for villain!au you can go take a gander at, they aren’t canon, but they’re very well written:

\- A oneshot by @lilygrants that explores [Imelda’s thoughts upon Hector returning](http://lilygrants.tumblr.com/post/172449694821/this-is-a-ficbit-based-on-im-fairly-whittys) from murdering Ernesto

\- “Wellness,” a WhatIf? au being written by @doodleimprovementlooking at what it might have looked like[ if Miguel was taken to therapy after his death](http://doodleimprovement.tumblr.com/post/173460522144/psychologist-malcom-kevgil-is-called-upon-by-the)

\- a Villain AU AU being written by @wee-chlo that explores an alternate universe in which [Miguel accepted Hector’s terms of silence](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/post/172932648073/everything-is-going-to-be-okay-a-villain-au-au) and returned to the Land of the Living burdened with the knowledge of Ernesto’s murder, driving him to his own early grave when he has to face Hector all over again as an emotionally damaged twenty-six year-old.

Hope you find some new content to chow down on, glad to have you aboard for the ride!

12th

**Anonymous** asked:

Why do you hate so much the characters in the Villain Au? (In particular Miguel, Ruy and Vico)

Hate them? I don’t hate them.

There’s a lot of love that comes from pain.

There’s a really big difference in angst for angst’s sake (which I always avoid since it leads to really sloppy plot and characterization) and exploring how characters handle and react to obstacles.

It’s when the going gets tough that a character’s true colors show and that you really get to see what makes them tick. By putting characters like Miguel, Ruy and Vico in incredibly extreme situations it not only pushes them into making fascinating choices, but it gives them the opportunity to grow and develop.

Like how Ruy and Miguel are learning to push through and cope with their trauma, choosing to move beyond it for the greater good, or how Hector and Victoria are developing negatively into their very worst selves as they give in to their personal trauma. If the events of villain au hadn't happened to these four then they would have stayed in their stagnant lifestyles of rationalizing and drinking and ignoring, it took the shock of Enrique’s death and actions to get everyone moving and making important after-life altering choices.

There’s also the fact that we as readers don’t love characters because they succeed, we love them for the struggles they pushed past in order to reach success. We love them for having a hard time and not giving up, for doing it anyway, for fighting through the pain. The reason that people love Ruy and Miguel in this story so much is _because_ they’ve been through so much and somehow still _refuse_ to quit.

I don’t write villain au because I hate these characters, I write it because I love them and want to show everyone just how amazing they really are.

13th

**Anonymous** asked:

41 for the ask meme!!

**41) What’s your favorite minor character you’ve written?**

Well, Ruy was originally going to be a minor character, but he’s definitely not anymore. x) That audience hog has two of his own aus and a handful of alternate timelines at this point, not to mention too much art and side chapters. What a punk. (I love him dearly.)

The actual side character I enjoy writing the most is Ceci, I was one of the very first people in the fandom to pull her into the spotlight with my “Cecilia de Verde” fic that featured her as a love interest. It was also the first time she was featured as Imelda’s best friend/confidant since the connection felt natural in that fic.

Since then I’ve delighted in including Ceci in my other au’s as well as Imelda’s level-headed no-nonsense childhood friend who isn't afraid to say exactly what needs to be said, but also is always there to be an emotional support for her best friend.

**14th**

**Anonymous** asked:

In Teacher!AU or Villain!AU, when was the last time Imelda had a full emotional meltdown or nightmare in front of Hector?

Villain Imelda is always in control, she can’t afford to ever truly break down, especially since so much of what she does is keeping _Hector_ from falling apart or going overboard with his emotions. Because of this she is always careful to compartmentalize and settle her emotions and issues as they come, before they become problems, so that she can always be in top form for the sake of her family.

But that doesn’t stop the nightmares.

When she’s awake Imelda is always in control, but the reality is that even if she doesn't want to admit it, she harbors an immense amount of stress, and it comes out subconsciously in her dreams. Imelda’s nightmares don’t come often, but when they do appear they last for weeks at a time, generally appearing right _after_ a particularly stressful period of time. They’re bad, the wake up crying and sweating kind.

Villain Imelda’s nightmares are never about the future, but about what could have happened in the past if she had failed. Hector collapsing of poison. Hector lying in a shallow grave. Her alone with Coco. A stalker capturing her. Hector’s career being pulled down by any one of their enemies.

All things that never happened, but that _could_ have happened if she had failed, if she had slipped up, if her planning and plotting and strategizing had all somehow gone awry.

She hates her nightmares more than anything else in her life and has tried a range of medication (which makes her too groggy, she needs to stay sharp) and counciling (which doesn’t help when you have secrets to keep) to try and stifle them.

In the end the only thing she’s ever found that really helps is Hector gently shaking her awake and holding her close until she drifts off again, usually gently humming something until she’s asleep. Most of her nightmares involve one of them dying or of them being apart, so checking back into reality helps her reorient herself and calm down.

Hector is the only one that knows about her nightmares. He’s canceled solo tours before so that he can be with Imelda if he knows they’ve come back. Even if she protests that she’s fine, inwardly she’s always grateful and relieved to have him there beside her. Her own subconscious is the only thing in her life that she cannot force into submission with the sheer strength of her will, and it scares her.

14th

###  [Harmony](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/176989983113/harmony) by @slusheeduck

**1933**

Héctor trudged into the house with a long sigh. He always forgot how much filming took out of him—all that repeating, all that emoting. It wasn’t _at all_ like doing his concerts (despite what his agent had said the first time), and honestly, he didn’t like it all that much. But…well, Leti had _just_ gone into remission, and there were bills that needed to be paid.

He considered heading straight to bed—Imelda would understand if he skipped his customary hello—but…well. There were letters to sign and contracts to go over, and there was still enough time to get them ready to go by tomorrow. _Plus_ he’d be able to use more of his days off to spend with his family. So he took a deep breath by the door and quietly made his way to his study.

He got about ten minutes of reading in when he heard a commotion in the hallway. Automatically, he was up on his feet and heading to the door. It sounded like footsteps were thudding down the hallway at a full sprint. No one could have gotten in, so it could only be…

“ _Papá!_ ”

The door flew open, and all at once a small blurof a boy threw himself right at Héctor, laughing as he just barely managed to be caught. Héctor looked down and let out a quiet little laugh as he was met by bright brown eyes and a huge, gappy-toothed smile.

“Hola, Ruy,” he said, kissing the top of his son’s head before he set him down. He looked up as he heard the frantic click of heels coming down the hall.

“ _Rodrigo_ , what did I say?” Imelda called as she reached the door. Rodrigo automatically leaned back against his father as his mother gave an exasperated sigh. “Lo siento, cariño, I know you must be exhausted. I tried to stop him, but…”

Héctor laughed, ruffling Rodrigo’s hair. “But our little músico can’t be stopped.” He arched an eyebrow at his son. “Even when he’s _supposed_ to be in bed.”

Rodrigo blinked, then gave a slow, entreating smile. “Lo siento, Papá. But you were gone for so long, and I _couldn’t_ wait!” He held up a paper, eyes wide and sparkling. “But I wanted to show you _this!_ ”

Héctor’s eyebrows rose as he took the paper, and a smile spread across his face as he recognized the little circles drawn in wobbly lines. “Is this a song, Ruy?”

“ _Sí!_ And I wrote it _myself!_ ” Rodrigo grabbed at Héctor’s hand and started pulling him toward the door. “And _you_ need to play it, Papá!”

“He can play it in the morning, Rodrigo,” Imelda said firmly. “ _You_ need to get into bed, and Papá needs to rest after such a long time away.”

Héctor glanced up at Imelda, then down at Ruy. The boy was all of eight years old, but given the way his eyes hardened and his jaw set, he’d already _fully_ inherited both sets of stubbornness—and they already knew he could throw _quite_ a fuss if he didn’t get his way. He set his hand on Ruy’s head, ruffling his hair slightly.

“Tell you what. I’ll play through your song, and then you head straight to bed. How does that sound?”

Imelda gave him a disapproving frown—she _hated_ when he gave in to any of their children’s wheedling—but the moment Ruy’s face lit up, it was well worth the talk they’d have later about ‘ _set rules_ ’ and ‘ _undermining’_.

“Vete, Papá! Vete vete vete!” Héctor had just enough time to send a sheepish smile Imelda’s way before Ruy tugged him down the hallway to the sitting room, straight to the piano in the corner. Héctor couldn’t help his amused smile as Rodrigo danced around impatiently for him to pull out the seat and unlock the fallboard (a relatively new addition; they’d left it uncovered until Ruy started taking lessons and suddenly wouldn’t stop playing day and night). Once he was seated at the keys, Rodrigo pulled himself up to sit beside his father, setting the paper on the music shelf and looking up at Héctor excitedly. Héctor smiled.

“You sure you don’t want to show me how it’s played?”

Rodrigo shook his head sharply. “ _I_ know how it’s supposed to sound. I wanna see if you can make it sound the way I hear it in my head.”

Héctor chuckled. “Well, I can’t argue with that.” He cracked his knuckles. “All right, chamaco, let’s see if I can play this right.”

He squinted at the wobbly notes on the page, then did his best to play a few. However, Ruy quickly pat his arm.

“No, _no_ , Papá! You’re playing it too slow!”

“I am?”

Ruy nodded. “It’s supposed to be _fast._ And…and _fun!_ ”

Héctor smiled, then pointed to the top corner of the page. “But then why did you write ‘rubato’ here?”

Rodrigo’s brows furrowed as he looked at the page. “Because that’s what you write on music. That’s what _you_ wrote on ‘Remember Me.’”

Héctor blinked, heart melting slightly as he realized Rodrigo had been looking at _his_ music to learn how to write. He swallowed down the sudden wave of emotion, then ruffled Rodrigo’s hair. “I did. Because ‘Remember Me’ is a lullaby, so it needs to be played slowly.” He pulled his hands away to play the first few notes of “Remember Me,” then looked up at Ruy. “But I wouldn’t play something like ‘Poco Loco’ in rubato.” He demonstrated, holding the notes out longer than necessary and grinning when Ruy laughed, then played it the way it was meant to sound. “This song, I play in _allegro._ That means it’s fast and happy.”

Rodrigo perked up. “That’s what I want!”

“So then, if you want _other_ people to know how to play it, you put down the _tempo_ you want in the corner here. So for this song, you’d write ‘allegro’ instead of ‘rubato’. Claro?”

Rodrigo nodded, looking seriously at his music.

“We can go over tempo more tomorrow. For now, you wanted me to play this for you, sí?”

“Sí! In allegro!”

Héctor grinned. “Allá vamos, chamaco. Let’s see if I’ve got it right this time.” This time, Ruy didn’t stop him as he played; every now and again, Héctor glanced over at his son, surprised at how focused he was as he listened. Once he held out the last note, though, Rodrigo was _all_ smiles.

“It’s _perfect,_ Papá! That’s _exactly_ what I heard in my head!” He grabbed the paper with a grin. “Now we just need to come up with a name for it. I have a few I was thinking of so…”

“ _Ah_ ah ah. Not so fast, mijo.” Rodrigo looked up at his papá with big eyes, but Héctor remained firm. “It’s time for bed.” Ruy started to groan, but one eyebrow raise from Héctor was enough to quiet him.

“ _Fine._ ” His attitude was instantly broken when he looked up at Héctor. “Can you tuck me in, Papá?”

“Por _supuesto._ ”

Once Héctor shut the fallboard, he guided Rodrigo up the stairs and to his room. He glanced around, taking note of the several other papers that looked like the one Ruy clutched to his chest. So this wasn’t just a one-off. _Huh._ He and Imelda had joked that Ruy would be a musical prodigy, but…well, maybe that was more likely than they’d thought.

But that didn’t matter just yet. For now, Ruy was just a little boy waiting to get a good night from his father. Héctor took the paper from him and gently set it on the table.

“So you’ll really help me with the name?” he asked quietly.

“Yes. We’ll give it the _best_ name.”

“And you don’t have to leave again?”

Héctor blinked, then gave a small smile as he knelt by Ruy’s bed. “No, mijo. Filming’s over for now.”

“And no concerts?”

“Not for a little while, no.”

“ _Good._ ” Rodrigo sat up to give his papá a tight hug, then settled down against his pillow. Héctor tucked his blankets in around him, then gave his forehead a kiss before he got up to shut off Ruy’s lamp.

“Papá?”

“Hm?”

“When I’m older, can you play one of _my_ songs in your concerts?”

Héctor blinked, once again trying to keep himself in check despite being _incredibly_ touched, and he gave Ruy a big smile.

“Mijo, there is _nothing_ I’d like to play more than your music.” He grinned. “And one day, everyone in México will want to hear _Maestro Rodrigo Rivera’s_ latest piece. And it’ll be the greatest honor to be the one to play it.”

15th

**Anonymous** asked:

Between Villian Héctor and Villian Imelda, who do you think is the more evil one? Is it Imelda for persuading Héctor into killing in the first place or Héctor for making the choice?

That really depends on what you mean by “evil” and what you mean by “more evil.”

I suppose in this context we could say that evil is the deliberate harming of others in order to further your personal interests, specifically when the level of harm you do outweighs the _deliberate_ harm they may or may not have been posing to you.

As for which of them is _more_ evil, that’s a very difficult moral and philosophical question. Hector couldn’t have done it without Imelda’s pleading, but Imelda wouldn’t have suggested it if she hadn’t been terrified for her husband’s life.

Over the course of their villainous careers Hector has traditionally done the “heavy lifting,” actually doing the deeds, but it’s always Imelda that’s done the careful planning behind it that makes them successful. Their moral decay relies on the synergy they create by working together and at the end of the day it’s impossible to truly untangle who bears the most blame.

That said, they do have different styles/personalities that make them fundamentally different villains. Imelda is predictable when you understand her motivations since she does exactly what she needs to and no more. Hector however is predictably _unpredictable_ , going wherever his heart takes him in the frenzied moment.

If you were up against Imelda you could talk your way out of danger, until the moment she decided you were dead, at which point it’s all over. With Hector you could have his promise that nothing would happen to you and then find that promise broken an hour later if something went wrong.

If I personally had to choose one to go up against it would be Imelda. Hector’s flightiness and ability to do _anything_ makes him a terrifying force, where Imelda’s cool head makes her at least somewhat escapable once you know her secret.

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/post/177041899308)

I would argue the question should be less “Who’s more evil” and more “who’s more dangerous”.

And I would agree that when it comes down to it, Hector’s more dangerous because he can’t be trusted. Not by anyone. Not even by Imelda, the only person he seems to have any real loyalty to. He’s like a natural disaster at this point. No one’s really safe. Thus far, everyone save Imelda is, when it comes down to it, more or less disposable in the name of not rocking his delicate boat because he, more than anything else, is dangerously unstable.

Imelda only does things that she “knows” she needs to. She stops and considers and doesn’t do anything she’ll consciously regret. There’s control there. She sets up the cover story, advises the use of subterfuge and the use of someone’s own vices against them.

Hector does horrible things that he spends the rest of his conscious time convincing himself was necessary, even when they weren’t. He’ll twist his own mind up and, to the best of his probably unconscious ability, twist everyone else’s mind up to satisfy his patchwork psyche. He’s literally a freakin’ axe murderer.

17th

**Anonymous** asked:

What was your inspiration for Ruy?

Ruy is a beautiful disaster that has developed over time. The best OCs are ones that come to be and develop to fit to a story (versus “I want an OC”), and Rodrigo Rivera is a prime example of that.

He made his very first appearance when someone asked me to list all the Rivera children in villain au. [@slusheeduck](https://tmblr.co/m6RoCOMrf9aNc6jybGk6vRQ) and I both love the show “Mozart in the Jungle,” whose main character is an eccentric composer named Rodrigo De Souza, who is played by Gael Garcia, the voice actor for Hector Rivera in Coco. So as a joke I made the youngest son a composer named Rodrigo.

As the story continued to develop people asked a few more questions about Rodrigo, spurring me on to flesh out his character beyond being a one-time joke. At first his personality was based loosely on the wildness of Rodrigo De Souza, which led us to consider how that personality would clash with having a father like villain Hector

One thing led to another and soon we realized that Ruy (whose nickname stuck) was still a wild child, but one who would be terribly damaged by being in villain au. Thus Ruy the black sheep came into being.

At first there was no plan for him to appear in the main storyline, but then I realized how much he could complicate things for the better with Enrique’s haphazard quest, not to mention providing terrific insight to the inner failings of the Rivera family. He was originally going to be a salty and charismatic scoundrel, a Han Solo if you will, who would begrudgingly agree to help Enrique and Miguel for a chapter, and then disappear again.

But no. He’d already wrapped himself around our hearts and continued to develop as a character as Slush and I dug out more of his backstory, revealing how much of a damaged sweetheart he is. Finding Iria was the key to really unlocking his character though, the romance that embodied his failure to run away from his problems was what really pulled him together, solidifying his regret and self-loathing on top of his loving and touch starved nature.

The kind of guy that would throw nightly parties that wear him out, who would adopt his new grand-nephew and great-grand-nephew despite knowing it would get him in hot water, who desperately wants to be loved by his father but believes it’s beyond hope.

And that’s how we got Rodrigo Arturo “Ruy” Rivera, musical prodigy, sweetheart extraordinaire, drunk-to-forget disaster, and very badly in need of a hug.

18th

**Anonymous asks** :

Was Iria originally a character for a potential Princess and the Frog story or was she created mainly for the Coco Villain AU?

Good question, _kinda_ both?

[@slusheeduck](https://tmblr.co/m6RoCOMrf9aNc6jybGk6vRQ) and I both love The Princess and the Frog (Tiana being of course the best Disney Princess), at some point we began headcanoning a PATF x Coco crossover that Slush did a ton of headcanons for, and that I did some art and a [big old oneshot for](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172151387659/dealing-with-shadows-coco-x-princess-and-the-frog).

Slush has done some fanfic for PATF in her past and so has a good sense of headcanoned Maldonian (language of Maldonia) and background for Naveen’s family, so one day we were discussing the children that Tiana and Naveen would someday have and how they would match up in age to Hector and Imelda’s children.

The important part though is that several days before this conversation we’d hit the point with Ruy where we were trying to aggressively flesh out his backstory. We’d started talking about what kind of person he could have a relationship with that would help him fly straight, but were having trouble deciding.

We knew vaguely that it was a woman from Europe, someone that he lived in New York with, but beyond that we left it fuzzy since we knew there was a puzzle piece missing and didn’t want to force it.

Flash forward to talking about Tiana and Naveen’s kids, and we both freaked out at exactly the same time when we realized that the mysterious woman from Europe was from Maldonia, which was why we couldn’t settle on a country a few days earlier.

At that point we took our time fleshing out Iria, figuring out her personality and backstory and how it meshed with Ruy’s history. Ways they build each other up and how they sometimes tear each other down. In the PATF au (we hashed out thier story together in that au first) they are childhood friends who end up getting married after she tells him he has to straighten out when they’re in their early twenties if he wants to get hitched. He does, and it works out beautifully, and they’re absolutely perfect at helping each other through this mess we call life.. 

Meshing Iria into the villain au as Ruy’s lost love (since Ruy is too damaged in this au to immediately respond to her asking him to get better, instead taking her leaving as another abandonment and going off the deep end) gave them both amazing depth of character, and especially fleshed out Ruy wonderfully.

They’ve become my very favorite children and writing them both is incredibly therapeutic for me. To the point that I’m seriously considering writing a completely original novel featuring Ruy from Mexico, Iria from the Mediterranean, and Seba the jazz artist, three kids all making their way through love and life in 1950′s New York, as a romp of a historical fiction to give these kids the story they deserve.

So she very much belongs to a PATF world, but she was brought into the spotlight by Ruy. Which I think fits them pretty well.

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

🇯🇵for Ruy and Héctor in the Villain!AU

[**slusheeduck**](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/177135573118/for-ruy-and-h%C3%A9ctor-in-the-villainau) answered:

🇯🇵: Fashion Headcanon

If Hector had his way, he would live in either [mandarin-collared linen shirts](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.etsystatic.com%2Fil%2F462564%2F1298879950%2Fil_340x270.1298879950_pg49.jpg%3Fversion%3D0&t=ZWRkMGFhMTgzYjA2ZmZhNGY4MWQ0Y2Q0MDY1MDA3NTUxNzVkNWE3ZCxheWV0ejNvMg%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177136160024%2Ffor-ruy-and-h%25C3%25A9ctor-in-the-villainau&m=1) or [Guayabara shirts](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F2e%2Ff0%2F29%2F2ef029d0c98e1ee974ea0405dc82f605.jpg&t=NzgwNGU1YjA5NWMyZGEwNmE1ZTU5YTY4M2VhMTQ5MTk3MjZjZjRkMCxheWV0ejNvMg%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177136160024%2Ffor-ruy-and-h%25C3%25A9ctor-in-the-villainau&m=1) with, at most, a vest and neckerchief thrown on. Luckily, his wife doubles as his personal stylist. For publicity tours, he’s in his sparkling white charro suit, and for more day-to-day events, he opts for a smart single-breasted, neatly tailored suit–usually in pale gray, with his tie and pocket square _always_ matching Imelda’s dress. He does, however, tend to swap his normal tie for a charro bow tie if they’re in America–he’s proud of his home and likes to remind people where he’s from.

When Ruy’s career first took off in 1944, he was _all_ tailored suits and fedoras and got several compliments on what a sharp dresser he was. However, as he wanted to distance himself from the carefully-constructed Rivera family, he went more into _avant-garde_ territory, especially once he moved to New York. He owns at least one Hawaiian shirt and more than one straw hat, but opts more toward collarless shirts and linen pants (if it’s warm enough). Like his father, he takes great pride in his home country and likes showing people where he’s from, though he’s a little more obvious about it with his collection of ponchos and gabanes (all hand-made from one very lovely family in Pátzcuaro.)

20th

**Anonymous** asked:

I was wondering, what made you decide to include Whattimeisitintokyo’s OCs Leti and Matty in your Villan AU story instead of creating new OCs like Ruy and Teto?

A few reasons!

First of all after reading work by [@whattimeisitintokyo](https://tmblr.co/maCEnh09Z2ahEJwugA5aeaw) I adored the thought of Hector and Imelda having a set of twins after Coco, to the point that if I were to make OCs it would essentially just be a bootleg Mateo and Leticia. I preferred the thought of building fandom headcanon bridges by inviting the twins into my work rather than create a watered down version of them since I respect Tokyo’s work a lot. I was thrilled to get their permission.

Second is that I knew that in the villain au the twins would be background characters without the opportunity to be developed, but I still wanted all of Hector and Imelda’s children to be full characters. If I were to make bootleg twins then they would run the risk of being too many unfamiliar names making a soup of new characters that readers would lose track of. But the twins being cameo guest stars means they’re already carrying the background and emotion that their original author provides in their original story. They’re in the background, but they still hold their own as distinct characters.

If the twins had a larger role in the villain au then I would have probably gone ahead and made OCs of my own to join Teto and Ruy (since I wouldn’t feel comfortable writing extensively with characters that I don’t understand inside and out) but for the background role they currently fill they’ve been a fantastic fit and a fun crossover between two authors.

_(It should also be noted that the OG twins and the villain au twins have diverged in backstory significantly and also somewhat in personality since Somos Familia was still in its earlier chapters when I started villain au and they have since been developed further by the author.)_

20th

[**doubledaysportia**](https://doubledaysportia.tumblr.com/) asked:

What year does the villain!au take place?

You can find the super official villain au time line [here](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/172777153639/can-you-make-a-timeline-because-im-confused-how) in all its “scratched-out-on-the-back-of-homework-in-the-middle-of-lecture-hall” glory.

Since chapter one takes place in 2017 when the canon movie event happen, the main bulk of the villain au takes place twenty years later in 2037. (Which is why smartphones have trickled into use among the wealthy dead, I feel like that’s enough time for iphones to be obsolete enough to make their way into the afterlife.)

20th

[**agent-numbuh-227**](https://agent-numbuh-227.tumblr.com/) asked:

I recall you mentioning that Imelda and Héctor had some trouble having Héctor Jr./Victor. Can you elaborate and is that present in all Héctor Lives AUs?

Hector and Imelda’s fourth child _(whose name varies depending on the universe, villain = Hector Jr, al other aus = Victor)_ had a very difficult pregnancy for Imelda, involving several expensive trips to the hospital.

It’s frightening in every au for Imector, even though it never quite reached the level of life-threatening for Imelda. The villain au timeline clips along too quickly to allow for it, but in every other au there’s also a threeish year gap between the twins and the fourth child since Hector and Imelda had trouble conceiving.

All in all it was a difficult time getting the fourth child here and enough of a scare that they decided together that they were done having children. Making Ruy quite a surprise, outside of villain au Rodrigo Rivera is born several years after his brother.

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

So ... Who is the "real villain" in your Villain au? Hector? Imelda? Victoria? Ernesto? Or the writer? (no ok XD)

This is the kind of really really fantastic philosophical question that could take up a whole class period in an English course discussion. This kind of question makes you dig into the text and push ideas back and forth about morality, psychology, and circumstance, the exact kind of question that prompts essays.

So excellent job thinking of it and asking it!

The answer is that the answer could be any number of things depending on how you look at the story, and that they could all be right. I would love to hear what you guys think. Pull it apart a little, and formulate your ideas.

Who do _you_ think is the “real villain” of villain au and why?

You can comment or reblog your thoughts here or send them to my inbox. I don’t mind length or what stance you take, but I would love to see what you think. Is it Hector for going too far? Imelda for spurring things on? Ernesto for kicking things off? Victoria for being insane? Circumstances for being too terrible? Me for being a hecking author writing it all in the first place?

You tell me, I’m all ears.

[**calliopesquill**](http://calliopesquill.tumblr.com/post/177242871958)

This is bound to be a really interesting discussion and I’m really interested to hear everyone else’s take on it.

Personally I think the real villain of the story is Fear.

People will do a lot of crazy things when they are afraid. It affects our ability to think clearly, even when we believe are actions are taken in a completely well-thought-out and reasonable way.

Fear is a large part of what drove Ernesto to decide to kill Hector, I think. Pride and Ego were a big contributing factor as well. But in this case I would also consider fear of abandonment, and fear that he would never amount to anything without Hector’s songwriting talent. It’s proven that he is a good singer, a good performer, a good actor. But in his mind that would never be enough.

Fear is what drove Hector to call Imelda and for them to decide that the best course of action was to kill Ernesto first. It’s what drove them to not only build up the family reputation as the “good” family, but also drove them to get rid of anyone who threatened that. And the more they killed, the more they compensated with charitable action, the more they had to lose, creating a vicious repeating cycle. And what ultimately drove Hector to trap Miguel in the Land of the Dead.

Fear of history repeating itself, of experiencing that trauma again is I think part of why Victoria acts with such desperation. Fear kept the rest of the family from ever speaking out about what had been done. And I think a big part of why Miguel stayed silent for so long. That kind of trauma leaves deep scars and it is easier, safer to dissociate than to risk looking back and experiencing it again. Which is one reason I am so, so proud of Miguel for acting out and trying to save Ruy.

What do you all think?

[**calliopesquill**](http://calliopesquill.tumblr.com/post/177243610143)

Source:[im-fairly-whitty](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/177242406889/so-who-is-the-real-villain-in-your-villain)[#we have a strong and wonderfully phrased contender right out of the gate](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/we-have%20a%20strong%20and%20wonderfully%20phrased%20contender%20right%20out%20of%20the%20gate)[#abstract concepts as the villain is always facinating because it can be applied to /everyone/ in the cast](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/abstract-concepts%20as%20the%20villain%20is%20always%20facinating%20because%20it%20can%20be%20applied%20to%20%2Feveryone%2F%20in%20the%20cast)[#how does fear apply to Ruy and Enrique? does it make them both perform badly?](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/how-does%20fear%20apply%20to%20Ruy%20and%20Enrique%3F%20does%20it%20make%20them%20both%20perform%20badly%3F)[#is the fear the cause of every bad thing in the story?](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/is-the%20fear%20the%20cause%20of%20every%20bad%20thing%20in%20the%20story%3F)[#what about love? what happens when you mix fear with love?](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/what-about%20love%3F%20what%20happens%20when%20you%20mix%20fear%20with%20love%3F)[#excellent thoughts](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/excellent-thoughts)

I can answer this too.

With Enrique, fear drives him to perform both better and worse because the fear is not for himself. If this case, it’s for Miguel. And we have seen time and again how fear and love can be the most dangerous combination, and what extremes people are willing to go to to protect a loved one.

Were he just afraid for his own safety, Enrique would have stuck to the status quo like the rest of the family. But it’s Miguel and his safety that he is focused on. Or his perceived idea of what “safety” is. Let’s not forget that removing Miguel from that house, while I think psychologically best for him, put them both and Ruy and Seba and Iria in a very dangerous situation.

Ruy’s fear drives him to self-destruction. His abandonment issues in relation to his father, and the rest of the family as well, I think makes him fear that he is unlovable. Which is, of course, ridiculous, but fear and anxiety and depression are hardly rational things. Hence his wild behavior as a teen and young adult. He doesn’t let people get close, not really. He puts on a face, a smile.

If he can be Awesome Ruy, the fun one, people will like him then, right? But it only make him lonelier. So it gets worse. So he dives into a bottle and hopes he can find an answer at the bottom of it, or just forget himself entirely. He loves his music. It brings him fulfillment and joy but also the attention that he had been so sorely lacking for years.

But those who love him for his music don’t love the real him. They love the face, the image. But not the soul.

And then there was Iria. Finally, FINALLY someone who knew the real him. Who saw all of the broken pieces and maybe loved him anyway. But his fear and insecurity got the better of him time and again, driving him to further self-destructive actions. And seeing this she feared that she would have to watch him destroy himself. She feared she was making it worse.

So she left, and in so doing reinforced Ruy’s fear that nobody could love him enough to stay.

^^Basically the tagline of this whole au

[@sweetiepie08](https://tmblr.co/mQYWN27F_IV0R4gRCYo4gvg)

Everyone is certainly responsible for their own actions, but does that make them all villains? What is the difference between being at fault and being villainous?

[**sweetiepie08**](http://sweetiepie08.tumblr.com/post/177246061345)

You gave me something to chew on while I was grocery shopping.

I think what makes them villainous is that they intentionally hurt innocent people. Ernesto obviously intended to kill Hector. He pretty much knocked down the first domino to disaster.

For Hector & Imelda, I’d say the only murder that you could make an argument for was Ernesto’s. Killing your own would-be murderer in self-defense isn’t all that villainous.

Fast forward to the later murders. Off the top of my head, I remember he killed one person who made a grab at Coco and Imelda’s stalker. Now it is natural to want to protect your loved ones. However, at the time, they had money and power which opened up his options. They could afford tighter security and lawyers who could put these people away for a very long time. Hector can even use his influence to advocate for stronger laws against stalkers or start a foundation for missing & exploited children.

If they went this route, there would be no need to murder detectives & reporters who could expose them to avoid facing the consequences of their actions protect the family. What would there be to expose? The “suicide” of Hector’s no-name music partner? But they don’t, because at the end of the day, everyone who’s not a Rivera (or is a Rivera who doesn’t fall in line) is expendable.

Victoria tortures people, and from the way Imelda & Hector talk about her, it seems Ruy wasn’t an isolated incident. Hector is, I think, at fault for sparking this thirst for violence in his granddaughter since he took her out to go after her murderer. She’s now generalized this behavior to apply to all situations she sees as similar regardless of the circumstances or who is innocent. (Seriously, Hector, stop taking other people’s mental health into your own hands. You are not good at it.)

In conclusion, yes they are all villains and being able to rationalize your villainous actions doesn’t excuse them.

[Source: im-fairly-whitty](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/177242406889/so-who-is-the-real-villain-in-your-villain) [excellent development](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/excellent-development)[so how does Victoria’s trauma and mental illness factor into her accountability?](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/so-how-does-Victoria%E2%80%99s-trauma-and-mental-illness-factor-into-her-accountability%3F)[does Hector bear the blame for that or is victoria still fully reaponsible for her state of mental health?](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/does-hector-bear-the-blame-for-that-or-is-victoria-still-fully-reaponsible-for-her-state-of-mental-health%3F)[its facinating to see how bad choices domino into each other](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/its-facinating-to-see-how-bad-choices-domino-into-each-other)[does this mean that Ruy’s attempt to get back at Hector through his reckless behavior make him vilainous too?](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/does-this-mean-that-Ruy%E2%80%99s-attempt-to-get-back-at-Hector-throug-his-reckless-behavior-make-him-vilainous-too%3F)[love it](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/love-it)

[**k-chips**](http://k-chips.tumblr.com/post/177248325401)

I’m really happy that my question started a conversation like this. (Yes, the question is mine … I do not know why it’s anonymous … maybe I chose “anonymous” by mistake, idk)

I asked this question because, in many ways, all these characters seemed to me the villains of the story. Ernesto for starting everything, Hector for all his wrong choices that led to disastrous situations, Imelda for his influence on Hector and Victoria for his situation in general.

But I find myself supporting [@calliopesquill](https://tmblr.co/maQZznax-XiASooi06OK1Xw) , who says that the real villain is fear.

The fear in this story is a bit ‘at the center of everything.

[Source: im-fairly-whitty](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/177242406889/so-who-is-the-real-villain-in-your-villain) [fear is the motivator of a great many things](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/fear-is-the-motivator-of-a-great-many-things)[a great many terrible things](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/a-great-many-terrible-things)

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

Nah the real villain is you

Haaaaaa, fair.

But allow me to push you into articulating _why._

Because I’m allowing characters to have a bad time that makes them grow and develop? Because I’m pulling my readers through a mine field of emotions and complex questions that allow them to gain emotional experience and psychological insight?

Do tell me, why am I as the author a villain?

I throw down the gauntlet at you Anon, tell me why an author can be a villain in their own work, whether or not it is truly villainy if it is _well_ written.

Or whether it is merely a masterful orchestration of the human heart.

[is my english discussion nerd showing yet](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/is-my-english-discussion-nerd-showing-yet)[complex discussions give me life](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/complex-discussions-give-me-life)[show me your reasoning and we shall dance](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/show-me-your-reasoning-and-we-shall-dance)[because an author CAN be the villain of thier own story but I would argue they are the villain only by writing their story poorly](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/because-an-author-CAN-be-the-villain-of-thier-own-story-but-I-would-argue-they-are-the-villain-only-by-writing-their-story-poorly)[by not doing the characters justice](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/by-not-doing-the-characters-justice) [or do you think otherwise?](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/or-do-you-think-otherwise%3F) [tell me](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/tell-me)[villain!au](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/villain%21au)

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

Perhaps the real villain is the audience. Or rather, we too, are doing villainous things. We are encouraging you to twist these characters, bringing out the worst in them. Feeding you compliments and joy whenever a new chapter is out, causing you to torture these characters for our entertainment

Now _there’s_ an intriguing possibility.

It is not the gladiators who are the bloodthirsty ones, but the audience who pays to see them struggle and die.

It’s true though, villain au would have forever remained an experimental oneshot had you all not goaded me into writing more. We would never have met Ruy, Caprice, Iria, Seba, Teto, villain Victoria or even villain Imelda.

We would never have seen Miguel dealing with his trauma, never would have seen Enrique’s attempt to rescue him, would never have guessed the delicate intricacies of the Rivera family or seen how a single bad choice dominoed into a complex web of lies that encompasses generations of the family.

Your encouragement feeds me and therefore feeds this au, bringing it and its pain into being.

Perhaps you all really are the _real_ villains after all.

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

Maybe the real villain is that of hindsight. They've come this far only to realize that maybe things were best left up to chance. And the Canon characters look back and fantasize the what if. It is a real flaw to look back on the past only to determine what to fix.

I had to take a minute to lie on the floor and think about this. Shame on you for making me unpack my English major brain two weeks before school starts again, this is fantastic.

The concept that hindsight is the real villain, or at least the thing that reveals how evil actions really were. In the moment things get confusing and easily justified, but years down the road is when you realize with clarity that there were so many other ways for it to have gone.

The seed this au sprang from is the hindsight of the canon characters, the “what if Hector hadn’t died? what if he’d acted first and stayed safe?” Which on the surface looks desirable, but there’s no way of ever predicting the unforeseen consequences that a change like that would have caused. The canon storyline is _not_ the worst thing that could have happened, and that would only be evident decades down the line when hindsight reveals the terrifying consequences.

This also ties into a fascinating larger discussion about questions like accepting your fate, would the four unborn children be worth it even though they all have intense baggage, and how staying stuck in the realm of “what ifs” concerning past tragedies and mistakes can sap what we should be enjoying presently in our lives.

So much to chew on with this concept, fantastic!

21st

[**sweetiepie08**](http://sweetiepie08.tumblr.com/post/177253727525)

[@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw)

[#excellent development](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/excellent-development) [#so how does Victoria’s trauma and mental illness factor into her accountability?](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/so-how%20does%20Victoria%E2%80%99s%20trauma%20and%20mental%20illness%20factor%20into%20her%20accountability%3F) [#does Hector bear the blame for that or is victoria still fully reaponsible for her state of mental health?](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/does-hector%20bear%20the%20blame%20for%20that%20or%20is%20victoria%20still%20fully%20reaponsible%20for%20her%20state%20of%20mental%20health%3F) [#its facinating to see how bad choices domino into each other](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/its-facinating%20to%20see%20how%20bad%20choices%20domino%20into%20each%20other) [#does this mean that Ruy’s attempt to get back at Hector throug his reckless behavior make him vilainous too?](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/does-this%20mean%20that%20Ruy%E2%80%99s%20attempt%20to%20get%20back%20at%20Hector%20throug%20his%20reckless%20behavior%20make%20him%20vilainous%20too%3F) [#love it](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/love-it)

Victoria’s mental health:

First of all, let’s not cast blame over having a mental illness. PTSD is a disorder which requires an impetus for diagnosis, in Victoria’s case it was her murder. However, with other things like depression or anxiety, there may not be a reason other than genetics.

That said, here’s how I imagine Victoria’s sadistic behaviors developed:

You’re Victoria: You’ve just been kidnapped and murdered and now you’re in the afterlife. You’re angry, scared, confused, despairing, and a whole host of other emotions you didn’t even know existed. Why did this happen to you? And why didn’t anyone save you? Lesson 1: you can’t rely on outside help.

You’re having trouble dealing with these feelings and you’re grandfather offers a solution. He’s a powerful figure who your family practically worships. Surely he must know what to do. He takes you to find your murderer and hurt him 10x worse than he hurt you.

It feels just. It feels right. It might even feel good. And it helps…for a while. You know for a fact that he’s not coming back so the nightmares must be wrong. But they come back. The feelings come back. There’s only one thing you know will help, but you can’t just torture innocent people. It needs to be someone who, in your eyes, deserves it. So, when you see the opportunity to it again, and you can justify doing it, you jump at the chance because it’s the only thing that works.

Is Victoria responsible for her actions? Yes. She would probably be put in a mental health facility rather than jail, but she is still responsible. Having a mental illness does not absolve you from consequences. Hector, however, is responsible for teaching her this extremely unhealthy coping skill.

Is it villainous? By my way of thinking, yes. She is still torturing innocent people, such as Ruy and Enrique, for her own ends, whether those ends are reinforcing her own toxic worldview (when someone hurts you, hurt them back 10x worse) or satisfying her own craving for violence (it’s okay that I’m doing this and enjoying it because they’re bad people).

Is Ruy villainous?

No. False equivalency. Having an alcohol addiction is not the same and murder and torture.

[Source: im-fairly-whitty](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/177242406889/so-who-is-the-real-villain-in-your-villain) [fan flipping tastic breakdown of Victoria's mental health and the moral complexities behind it](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/fan-flipping-tastic-breakdown-of-Victoria%27s-mental-health-and-the-moral-complexities-behind-it) [especially /how/ she reached the point of such violence](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/especially-%2Fhow%2F-she-reached-the-point-of-such-violence) [the path to madness is a complex one with many steps and hands](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/the-path-to-madness-is-a-complex-one-with-many-steps-and-hands)

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

Not sure if I'd call it a villain, per se, but the discussion around Villain!AU reminded me of when my sensei explained the difference between a reaction and a response—i.e., reactions are emotion-driven and nearly always heighten tensions, while responses are measured and can turn an enemy into a friend. A LOT of the awful things the Riveras have done have been reactions—killing Ernesto, going after that stalker and Victoria's murderer, etc. A response might have changed things for the better.

This is beautiful for many reasons, not the least of which being that you’ve struck at the very core of the au.

In the very beginning of the story it can be pared down to not so much a moral decision, but the fact that the decision was made in a way that was rash and poorly considered, setting a new standard for all similar decisions in the future. One reaction begat more and more reactions.

Responses don’t domino into every spreading disaster, they halt forward momentum and then deliberately choose the next step. There’s a reason that nuclear bombs are triggered with a “chain reaction,” not a “chain response.”

 _How_ you make a decision is paradoxically more important than what decision you make, precisely because whether it is a reaction or a response has such a vital influence on the later moral and emotional implications that decision has.

Hector’s hot-headed and leads with his heart, turning his decisions reactionary by default. Imelda could have chosen response instead since she is more rational, and probably believes she does, (just like in canon with the music ban) but in reality, her decisions are made just as emotionally as Hector’s.

Their false sense of justification, in _thinking_ they are responding instead of reacting, is perhaps the most damaging and dangerous element of their villainy.

21st

**Anonymous** asked:

Maybe justification is the real villain. When Cannon Héctor apologized to Imelda he accepted his role in how things played out. Even though it was Ernesto who killed him and even though he was always coming home, he acknowledged his mistakes. Villain Héctor, however, never seemed to really acknowledge the consequences of his dark deeds. No matter how bad things got, he claimed that the ends justified the means, just like Canon Ernesto did.

"Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alchol- that our lives had become unmanageable."

_\- Alcoholics Anonymous, 12 step program to overcoming addiction_

Because Hector will perform incredible mental gymnastics to avoid the blame for his actions, he is forever convincing and reconvincing himself (and others) that the fault lies not with himself, but with the actions of others.

Not only does this constant justification prevent him from accepting that _he_ has and is a problem, which could lead to him seeking change and repentance, but it results in him gaslighting himself and others around him in an effort to maintain the lie he is desperately feeding himself.

By constantly contradicting reality in favor of his own justifications, Hector has literally become delusional, digging himself deeper into a lie and pulling _everyone_ around him down into it as well. Attempts to “balance” their moral standing with involvement in charities and social movements is no longer truly founded in moral goodness, but itself become justification, permanently tainting even the supposedly good in their lives.

The fundamental falseness of his mindset bleeds into every part of his life and rules unchecked, and the fact that Imelda does nothing to correct these beliefs despite knowing as much as he does about the reality of their choices speaks to her own voluntary justifications and delusions.

22nd

**Anonymous** asked:

(KHnonny) UGghhghhghhHHH All of this nerding out over Villain AU is KILLING ME!!! As and English major too, I'm also just loving all of the discussion around it, and I love reading about it, but the frustrating thing is that about 3 chapters into villainAU I realized that it's just not something I can handle? I don't think I can fully enter the discussion, but Héctor in this AU reminds me of one of my own OC villains (pt 1)

  


Hahaha, well I’ll let you in on a secret, chapter 1 was supposed to be a oneshot, and chapter 2 and 3 were experimental emotional expansions on chapter 1.

Chapter 4 is when the _story_ starts. The first three chapters are really more of a prologue, and if you’re still intrigued by the villain au I’d recommend giving chapter four a shot. The intense childhood trauma lets up for the real fireworks to begin, and I’ve been told that Ruy especially makes it all unbearably bearable.

 _That’s_ when I start weaving in the fantastic Shakeperian psychological and moral threads that we’ve been having such a grand time diving into. I never write “angst for angst’s sake,” everything I write has deeper levels of thematic exploration in it for my own enjoyment as well as giving my readers the opportunity to root around for deeper concepts and meaning.

But I digress.

You’re right on the nose with your thoughts about the villainous rationalizing, that’s exactly the kind of thought process that villain Hector has. Looking past the deed, looking past the uncomfortable problem to the goal of what he wants on the other side. That’s exactly the kind of justification that traps him.

22nd

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

The response to the anon about justification reminded me of the line in the second chapter where Hector muses that Ernesto “finally managed to kill a Rivera after all”. With Hector, it feels less like justification (“I did it but it was okay because of this, this and this”) and more shifting the blame to the point of overt delusion (“I didn’t do this; HE/SHE/THEY did this.”) The inability to take responsibility or even acknowledge a crime for the sake of avoiding pain... (cont)

Yes, yes and yes again.

22nd

**Anonymous** asked:

So, in the villain AU, Héctor intentionally kills Ernesto because he found out Ernesto was going to kill him, and that led to his slippery slope. Out of curiosity - would anything have changed if Héctor had only suspected, and had just switched glasses instead? Going with the "well, if Ernesto didn't do anything to the glass, he'll be fine"? If that still led to villain!AU Héctor, would Miguel's fate have been the same, or would he have thought it was, maybe not justified, but understandable?

Good question, that’s actually kind of already what happened.

Hector saw Ernesto dripping what he was pretty sure was formaldehyde (poison) into a glass, and since he never actually confronted Ernesto about it he didn’t actually have solid undeniable _proof_ that Ernesto was going to kill him. (One of the reasons he didn’t feel like he could go to the police.) So really, although he was right, he was technically operating off of educated suspicion.

And he _did_ tell himself “well, if Ernesto didn’t do anything to the glass, he’ll be fine,” that’s the only reason he was able to go through with it at all. Villain Hector a decade later is able to take a man apart with an ax for assaulting his wife, but twenty-one year old Hector who still loves his childhood friend and is terrified for his life was repeating that line over and over and over again in his mind, deluding himself with the hope that he was overreacting, that of _course_ Ernesto would never want to _kill_ him.

That terrified rationalizing was the first of many, and seeing it come shattering apart as he watched Ernesto collapse to the ground was a blow to his psyche that he never, never, never recovered from.

Ever since that day he’s done his best to keep his rationalizings from ever coming apart like that again, no matter how much justification and glossing and blind eyes it takes.

22nd

[**pencokun**](http://pencokun.tumblr.com/post/177265912907)

So I was scrolling down Wit’s blog ([@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw)) and apparently people were discussing on who or what is the true villain in the Coco Villain AU. Everyone gave really, really good analysis and I am living.

But then something hit me. Now, I won’t be talking about whether the true villain is fear or justification or something else (if anything, I believe that all of the arguments are correct and they create _a chain **reaction**_ , starting from **_the audience_** _**and writer’s will**_ _to_ _cause **fear upon**_ the characters that _leads to **justification**_ ). Instead, I’ll be giving you a crash course on one aspect found in traditional Japanese aesthetics: [_wabi-sabi_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.m.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWabi-sabi&t=YzRiOWFhYjY2NWYxY2EzZTNkYmI0MzJkMzE3NDc1N2Q0YmQ2YThlMSxsanRYa0lVMQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177277070069%2Fso-i-was-scrolling-down-wits-blog&m=1).

What is wabi-sabi? It’s basically a thought or a concept in which beauty is found in _impermanence and imperfection_ ; the scars, the struggle, the markings, and the lingering pain that can make someone stronger and beautiful, in a sense. Think aged and cracked bowls with gold fillings or maybe even historical artifacts with great value in them, despite being broken beyond repair. But how does this relate to the Villain AU or canon in general?

Well, as a Japanology major nerd who’s still struggling with basic kanji help I’d like to propose a thought: **_the canon Rivera family or the canon timeline_** _and a happy **no-murder AU** are **prime examples of wabi-sabi** while the Rivera family from **the Villain AU** (plus the Bad End Ruy version of it) can be considered as **the opposite of it.**_

Compared to the Villain AU’s version, the canon Rivera family can be considered as “not as perfect” from the viewer’s eyes at first glance. They’re not stinking rich. There was a time when their family legacy was a big blur caused by heartbreak and anger. Not many people probably know of them outside Santa Cecilia and the Mexican shoemaking world, to an extent. They have scars in their history. There’s heartbreak and a ton of guilt. They’re _imperfect_.

But it’s actually thanks to the imperfections that they’re a wonderful and beautiful family. They all learn from their pain and from that pain they create something truly beautiful. Like how the shoemaking business wouldn’t have existed if only Imelda (and Héctor, in a non-murder AU) did not have to worry about raising a family when there wasn’t that much money to begin with. Or how Miguel’s story probably won’t be as touching if only Héctor hadn’t died on the way home. The Rivera family won’t be as colourful as it is−or could be, in a non-murder AU, if it weren’t for additions of other family members like a weird great-great-granduncle/grunkle and more relatives than you can count since there could be more uncles and aunts.

But in the Villain AU? The Rivera family looked like “the perfect family” at first glance, especially the dead family. Rich, famous, beloved by all, and too many can never do anything wrong. Beautiful. _Perfect_.

But the kind of perfection and/or beauty they emit is similar to that of a beautiful but unnerving artwork that pulls you in not with genuine charm but something far darker. It’s beautiful, yes. But there’s a voice in your head that keeps saying either “Look away. Look away. Look away. There’s something wrong about it” or “Clearly it’s not _that_ perfect… Right?”. And the deeper you look, the darker and uglier it gets, and the more you realize that the perfection is a façade to cover the nastiness deep within.

The “perfection” shown by the Rivera family in the Villain AU is cold. It’s demanding to those in the inner circle (family members). It’s plastic. Fake to some, even, once they ever think further than what they see. Instead of showing the scars and accepting the fact that things can and will go wrong, they decided to “fix” them by covering said mistakes as if nothing has gone wrong.

Think of it this way. Which is more beautiful: an ordinary clay bowl that is fixed with care and gold (or another precious metal), or a high quality ceramic bowl fixed with hot glue instead? To me, personally and if we go by wabi-sabi, the former is the superior one. The latter, to me, is basically a big lie to hide the mistakes. Kinda reminds you of a certain family, no?

A family that deals with their mistakes by erasing and covering them up using ungodly methods.

[this is absoloutely gorgeous penco](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/this-is-absoloutely-gorgeous-penco) [absoloutely lovely anaylasis](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/absoloutely-lovely-anaylasis)[that is a huge theme in the au is the ability to accept mistakes and imperfections](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/that-is-a-huge-theme-in-the-au-is-the-ability-to-accept-mistakes-and-imperfections)[its thier inability to accept the uncomfortable and messy in thier lives without trying to destroy and rewrite it completely](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/its-thier-inability-to-accept-the-uncomfortable-and-messy-in-thier-lives-without-trying-to-destroy-and-rewrite-it-completely)[that eventually tears them down leaving only a facade](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/that-eventually-tears-them-down-leaving-only-a-facade)[(like Ruy who could have been handled with loving care but was instead treated like a threat)](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/%28like-Ruy-who-could-have-been-handled-with-loving-care-but-was-instead-treated-like-a-threat%29)

22nd

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

Another thing that I find inherently villainous is that life seems to have no inherent value to Imector. The lives and happiness and wellbeing’s of others, even their own family, are all at best secondary to Imector’s, and their value is based on what they provide for them. I see this especially in Hector, where those who allow him to coddle and lavish attention and “love” are placed much higher than others, but none (save POSSIBLY Miguel) are even close to Imelda.

When you devalue human life things get messy, you aren’t ready to completely throw away everything and so you construct a false hierarchy of how to value a life.

For Hector this turns into the most valuable people being the ones that bring him emotional fulfillment.

Everyone else is ultimately expendable.

22nd

**Anonymous** asked:

The thing I like most about pencokun’s thoughts on wabi-sabi in the Villain AU discussion is that it adds a new level of symbolism to the Héctors fake teeth. Cannon Héctor’s is gold, it stands out but it gives him a bit of a roguish charm and makes his smile even more attractive. Villain Héctor’s tooth is made of porcelain, it doesn’t stand out and it looks like any other “flawless” smile unless you know the horror story of how he got it.

I dearly love the wabi-sabi post made by @pencokun earlier today and this is the most perfectly excellent addition that could possibly be made to it. Canon Hector is a piece of pottery that has been broken and shattered and put back together, and he knows it and he’s grown from his experiences. He wears his experience on his sleeve and works to become better.

Villain Hector has far more damage than canon does, at least _inside_ himself, but he never allows it to become visible in his attempt to be flawless. Anything that _is_ flawed is swept under the rug and shunned. He never has the opportunity to improve his flaws or build on his bad experiences because he deludes himself into pretending they don’t exist.

And I agree that this can be seen beautifully in their teeth. Canon’s gold one, and Villain’s porcelain one. One that builds themselves back together, and one who ignores themselves to dust.

  


22nd

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

Another thing that I find inherently villainous is that life seems to have no inherent value to Imector. The lives and happiness and wellbeing’s of others, even their own family, are all at best secondary to Imector’s, and their value is based on what they provide for them. I see this especially in Hector, where those who allow him to coddle and lavish attention and “love” are placed much higher than others, but none (save POSSIBLY Miguel) are even close to Imelda.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/177289837559/another-thing-that-i-find-inherently-villainous-is) answered:

When you devalue human life things get messy, you aren’t ready to completely throw away everything and so you construct a false hierarchy of how to value a life.

For Hector this turns into the most valuable people being the ones that bring him emotional fulfillment.

Everyone else is ultimately expendable.

[**sweetiepie08**](http://sweetiepie08.tumblr.com/post/177290109520)

Since I like peppering Discworld quotes everywhere, here’s another one.

“Evil begins when you begin to treat people as things.” - Terry Pratchett, I Shall Wear Midnight.

24th

**Anonymous** asked:

I'm so scared for VIllain!AU Miguel right now. Poor baby!

Oh, I’m sure Miguel will be just fine.

Papa Hector would never let anything happen to him.

27th

**Anonymous** asked:

What voice actor do you think could play Rodrigo?

Gael Garcia Bernal is always who we imagine as Ruy’s VA, but in the voice he does for the character Rodrigo de Souza from _Mozart in the Jungle_ , which sounds more earthy and spunky than the voice acting Gael does for a slightly more tired and desperate-sounding Hector Rivera.

As an added treat, you can tell how foundational Rodrigo de Souza originally was to Ruy’s character in the beginning stages of his character development by the fact that, if this video took place in the 1950′s, it matches Ruy perfectly.

(Although with later character development Ruy and De Souza diverge sharply in personality and backstory, as Ruy is a self-loathing wreck with a staggeringly terrible family life who can barely hold himself together in his day-to-day life and is eventually conquered by his addictions.)

30th

**Anonymous** asked:

When you talked about the murder victims in Villain AU you mentioned something about Maria-Teresa Veracruz and either a possible suicide or an overdose. Does this mean Marco wasn’t born in Villain AU?

^^Whoops, that format is kind of weird, but the sentence in parenthesis is meant to be its own entry in the [incomplete list of Villain!Imector’s victims.](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/176757415854/could-you-tell-us-a-bit-more-about-villain-au)

In the Maria-Teresa case the lawyer was the only one to die, killing a single mother for a lawsuit was pretty far out of Imector’s comfort zone so they made it work. I mean, they didn’t want to _overreact_ or anything…

The victims for the property disputes were a different case entirely and were apparently not outside of Imector’s comfort zone to kill.

Marco Veracruz is entirely alive and well in the villain au, and so is his half-sister Jazmin, who it the world’s foremost historical blog expert on everything you might ever want to know about Tio Hector Rivera, Mexico’s greatest musician of the 1950′s.

30th

**Anonymous** asked:

Regarding the biographers Villain Imector killed before their own deaths, did they ever consider that they were silenced by the couple they were investigating? Did they pursue it further in the Land of the Dead? I know the stalker was the only one to see Villain Héctor kill him but considering what they were researching before then it had to have been a little suspicious. Plus they seem to be more mentally stable then stalker so their stories might’ve carried more weight.

It’s a mix of a few things.

First of all, of the three people that died in the house fire, one was the biographer himself, and two were writer friends that weren’t involved in the project but happened to be visiting to discuss an entirely different project one of them was working on.

The biographer was also well known for smoking cigars far too much and leaving them in risky places like right next to a stack of papers when they were only half snubbed out. When the three died in a fire that looked exactly like it was started by a badly handled cigar it was a “furious but honestly not surprised” kind of situation for the three friends.

Also once they cross over to the afterlife they’re reunited with their dead family members and do their best to move on and not dwell on the past since there’s nothing they can do about the perceived accident anyway.

That doesn’t stop the biographer from having paranoid suspicions late at night though, but without his notes on the Riveras that were left behind in the Land of the Living there’s not a lot for him to do. Especially with the Riveras receiving a hero’s welcome the very same afternoon he died, he doesn’t have the confidence to try raising suspicions without real hard evidence to hold against them.

All in all, the biographer is resigned to living his afterlife in peace with his daughter and trying to forget anything ever happened.

Unless of course he were to find the right evidence…

30th

**Anonymous** asked:

Headcanons for Iria and Rodrigo wedding? Elena and Victoria would be lovely flower girls

In universes where Iria and Ruy get married (most notably the PATF crossover au and the Cecilia de Verde au), there’s always a bit of drama surrounding the wedding. Because, well, that’s just Ruy’s style. 

While Ruy greatly enjoys being the center of attention, his relationship with Iria is very private. It’s never a secret that Rodrigo Rivera spends a whole lot of time with the ambassador from Maldonia, but no one realizes that the party animal child prodigy conductor is fiercely loyal to her, since most people would assume he would be promiscuous, not painfully monogamous even before marriage.

Ruia’s relationship always hangs in the balance depending on whether or not Ruy can make important changes in his life and behavior to be more mature and a better man. Iria never marries him before she believes that he’s really made progress to be the man she knows he can be.

In most aus this results in them having a loving and passionate relationship, Ruy wanting to take it further, Iria giving him the ultimatum of having to change his bad habits, them taking a break while Ruy proves himself over about a year (still talking and writing each other, but not being together all the time, Iria wants to make sure he’s not just trying to change for her), and then getting back together when Iria can tell he really means it and them getting married immediately after she takes him back.

Like I said, drama.

Because they are eager to move quickly after getting back together, Ruy proposes with the ring he’s had in his pocket every day for over a year in the middle of Central Park, and they decide to get married in the courthouse that afternoon.

Which is what would have happened, had Iria’s bodygaurds not _tattled_ on them to their parents. By the time they arrive at Iria’s apartment to pick up a few things there’s a very urgent, very expensive, and very upset phone call waiting for them straight from the Maldonian royal palace.

First of all, congratuations dear we’re very excited for you both. Second of all HOW DARE YOU TRY TO GET HITCHED WITHOUT YOUR PARENTS THERE TO WISH YOU WELL AND CELEBRATE WITH YOU YOU’RE MORE CONSIDERATE THAN THIS IRIA YOU KNOW BETTER.

The long story short is that a very sheepish Iria and Ruy reluctantly postpone their marriage for several weeks and are put on the next plane to Maldonia, where they’re joined a few days later by Ruy’s family for wedding planning.

The wedding is as grand and formal as any royal wedding should be, Iria is decked out in a beautiful dress made by Europe’s finest designers and crown jewels, Ruy is wrestled into a fancy suit by his brothers, and all the parents of the married couple are delighted to have their families officially linked by marriage.

Elena and Victoria do make very lovely flower girls, as well as the other nieces Iria and Ruy have between them. (Between Iria’s and Ruy’s brothers there’s a small gaggle of them.)

There’s a beautiful after party where everyone is stately and on their very best behavior, and then an after-after party for everyone that they actually care about after the foreign heads of state leave and it’s mostly a crowd of loud international New Yorkers getting drunk and singing.

By then though Ruy and Iria are completely exhausted and make their escape to the plane taking them to their activity-packed honeymoon in the Swiss Alps, where flocks of media rabidly search for them for days.

But they never find them in the alps, because they’ve secretly flown back to New York where they have a brand new furnished apartment suite together and they spend most of their time curled up together in their indoor hammock.


	8. September 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All tumblr posts and asks published during September 2018 in chronological order.
> 
> Here is when the main storyline wrapped up, making room for more thoughtful delving into different characters like Ruy, Iria, Esteban, and Teto. Several oneshots were written.

2nd

**"Too Soon, Too Late"**

Art by im-fairly-whitty, oneshot by [slusheeduck](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/177673776843)

[ ](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/image/177673788354)

It wasn’t meant to end like this.

Iria wasn’t one to deny facts. She’d seen the headlines, she’d called the apartment, and here she was, bird of paradise flowers in her arms, staring at the gray marble stone with “Rodrigo Arturo Rivera” etched in it. There was no way to argue it. Ruy was dead.

Everything about this was _wrong._ He didn’t want this. He’d wanted to have his ashes scattered in Central Park, so he could always be part of the city he loved so dearly, that he considered _home_. Not trapped in the dirt of the place he ran from. But even more than that, he wouldn’t want to be _dead._

And Iria didn’t want him to be dead either.

She bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly. If she’d just called a little sooner, if she’d just let him know she would come back, if she’d just _stayed_ with him _…_

She kept her eyes closed as she stepped forward, shoes sinking slightly into the rain-softened earth. Maybe she could sink down with him. Then, at least, he wouldn’t be alone. There was nothing he hated more than being alone.

Her vision blurred as she opened her eyes and stared at the tombstone. The candles on either side did nothing to soften the stark gray of it, the flowers did nothing to lighten the grim reality of it. And yet, somehow, it was the pictures at the base of the stone that were the absolute _worst._ Most were publicity shots—one, she recognized, was from his first time on a magazine cover; he had a copy stuck in a dartboard at the apartment.—and what looked like a few family photos. In each, even in the family photo where Ruy couldn’t be more than five, he stood out—vibrant and demanding the camera’s full attention. So how could someone so full of life be _gone?_

She felt something bubble up from deep in her chest. She’d wanted to keep from crying—he’d always hated seeing her cry, especially for him—but…well, it wasn’t like he was here to stop her. Her eyes grew wet, and she gritted her teeth. She let the feeling free, allowing herself to let out a sob—but, much to her surprised, it was one of anger and frustration rather than grief.

“You weren’t supposed to _die_.” Her words wavered with tears, but they still felt sharp on her tongue. “You were supposed to be there when I came back, I was _always_ going to come back. Why didn’t you _believe me?_ ” Another sob escaped her as she shut her eyes, and— disregarding her dress, her position, the eyes that could be watching her—she let herself fall to her knees, sinking still more into the soft dirt as she hugged the birds of paradise to her chest. “I don’t want _this_ , Ruy. I want to be with _you._ ”

_Ay, Estrella. You know you can’t go where I’m going._

Iria sucked in a breath. The words came so clearly, so perfectly that she half-believed she would see Ruy standing in front of her if she opened her eyes. As a result, she kept her eyes shut tight; losing Ruy once was devastating, losing him twice would be beyond unbearable. Her shoulders shook, and she could practically hear his sigh.

_Rita. Irititita. You know how much I hate seeing you cry._

“Then why did you _leave_?” she hissed. She knew her voice was soft, but in the quiet of the graveyard, she felt as if she was shouting at him. _God_ , she could just _see_ the way he would awkwardly shift his weight to one leg and rub the back of his head.

_We both knew I was living on borrowed time._

“Then borrow more time. _Come back._ ”

A light laugh rang through her ears, tinged with the irony he always hid behind. _If anyone could make me come back, Rita, it’s you. But not this time. So let me go._

The words were so stark that Iria’s eyes almost opened. But… _no._ She _had_ to hold on to him, even if he told her not to, even if _he_ was just her brain playing tricks on her to deal with the grief. She hugged her flowers tighter; they were a weak substitute for pulling him into her arms, but it would have to do for now.

_Hey, hey…mirame._ She shook her head sharply. _Okay, then, I won’t make you. But_ listen. _You did the best you could._

She let out a choked sound in reply. “Don’t say it like that. It sounds like I…”

_Like you thought you could save me._

She just barely held back another sob. She’d always told herself she wasn’t trying to save Ruy. That only fools thought they could change people. That she loved Ruy just as he was. And each time she said that, she’d been _lying through her teeth._ She loved Ruy, _yes._ She didn’t want him to lose that joie de vivre that flooded through him. She just…

_You wanted me to be better than I was. And I never got there._

Ruy’s voice—however soft, however imagined—cut through her thoughts, and she sniffed hard, and a new wave of tears hit her as his voice grew thick when he added, _I’m sorry, Estrella. I_ tried.

“I know you did. And you _could_ have gotten there, I _know_ that you _could have._ Just…” She swallowed hard. “Why did you have to leave so _soon_?”

The voice went silent, and that’s how Iria knew it couldn’t be real. Ruy had always had an answer, even if it was a nonsense one. This one was with her, left floundering with the ultimate unanswered question.

She’d have to open her eyes soon. She’d have to return to the candles and photos and stark gray slab in front of her. Just…just another minute. Just to say goodbye.

_You know, when I was with you, I was the best I’d ever been. And that’s more than anyone else could have ever given me. So_ thank you _for that, Iria. I’d love you forever for that alone._

A small gust of wind carried through the cemetery, and Iria _swore_ she could smell traces of incense and wool, of _him,_ as if he were leaning forward to murmur something he only wanted her to hear. Another choked sob escaped her, leaving her shoulders shaking. If she focused hard enough, she could nearly feel calloused fingers brush her cheek.

_You can’t come where I’m going, Estrella. And I wouldn’t want you to follow me, anyway. I want you_ here. Alive. _I want you to hear symphonies and paint masterpieces and enjoy a beautiful day in Central Park. So let me go, Iria. Por favor, mi vida, mi amor, mi alma._ Please. _Let me just_ once _be the man you thought I could be, and let me leave so you can_ live your life.

Another sob bubbled out of Iria’s lips, and initially she shook her head. She couldn’t let him go. She’d never be able to let go someone like him, someone who had lit up her life so thoroughly she felt left in the dark without him. But…she couldn’t live like that. Even if this voice was just in her head, Ruy always believed in _living._ He’d hate if she gave that up because of him. So, hesitantly, she gave a shaky nod as she wiped at her eyes.

This time, the almost-voice didn’t speak. But, as her eyelashes fluttered with the last hopes that she’d see him when her eyes opened, she swore…no, she _did_ feel a soft, ghostly kiss on her forehead. One last goodbye. Not the one she wanted, no, but it was what she needed.

Finally, she opened her eyes.

The stone was still there. So were the candles and the flowers and the photos. Ruy was still dead. But…he was freed now, and…so was she.

She took a deep breath, then gently set the slightly crushed flowers at the base of the stone. She bit her lip for a moment, then leaned forward to give the cold marble a light kiss. It was a poor substitute for him, but she had to give her goodbye to him the only way she could.

She took another shaking breath and wiped her eyes, then pushed herself up to her feet. She did her best to brush off the dirt before she turned and began walking away. Before she reached the gate, she paused. _Don’t look back_ , she told herself. And yet, she glanced over her shoulder. Just in case, just to see if he…

But no. Nothing was there but a stone bearing his name. He was well and truly gone now that she’d let him go. And that was…good.

His life was over, but hers wasn’t. And she _had_ to keep living it—even if it hurt, even if she missed him more than anything. For her sake, and for his, too.

2nd

[**aleja09isthebest**](http://aleja09isthebest.tumblr.com/) asked:

Can you tell us more about duke esteban? He sounds like a nice guy, and must have been a great person to win Iria over (as much as I love Ruy/Iria, second loves are just as important as firsts)

Esteban and Iria have been best friends since they were children.

Iria belongs to the royal family of Maldonia, and Esteban is descended from Spanish royal blood, meaning that they got the chance to meet each other through European royal functions and spent a lot of time together growing up.

Since Teban’s always been an enthusiastic reader and writer, he insisted that they be penpals when they were in their home countries, securing their friendship as they wrote back and forth over the years. They would tell each other about anything and everything that seemed important in their lives, from Iria’s new pet dog, to Teban’s discovery of a whole patch of ferns in the gardens on his family’s property.

When Iria went to the United States they kept up her correspondence with her best friend, telling him everything about her career in the embassy and adjusting to her mother’s country and how difficult but fascinating it all was. Teban had always admired her intelligence and diplomacy and was a good listening ear, especially since their letters transformed into _very_ expensive long distance phone calls to erase the ridiculous wait of trans-oceanic postal service.

Like all best friends’ talks eventually do, a lot of their conversation became about dating struggles. Iria told him all about her relationship with Ruy, the good, the bad _and_ the ugly. And Teban would talk about the mounting pressure his family was putting on him to find a wife, and how frustrating it was since he didn’t _want_ to get married, and his confusion at the fact that he’d never actually felt romantically attracted to _anyone_ , much less want to actually marry them. Something his parents didn’t understand at all.

They were both very good at listening to each other and supporting each other through their very different problems, and when Iria and Ruy broke up Teban called her regularly to check up on her, knowing exactly how hard it would be on her.

When Ruy died, Teban flew out the day after he heard, knowing that she would be in pieces and that perhaps no one would understand better what his best friend needed right then than himself.

There were a few days that they spent together in New York before they flew down to Mexico so Iria could get some closure at Ruy’s grave as best as she could.

After Iria visited the cemetery she and Teban went to a local cafe and just sat together in silence for a long long time as Iria leaned on his shoulder, exhausted and with no more tears to cry.

That was when Iria suggested they get married.

It wasn’t really a shock to either of them, it had been an old joke of theirs (and their family’s) since they were kids that they would be married someday, a kind of ridiculous back-up plan.

But now it made sense. Iria already knew that she would never be able to move on from Ruy, not really, and the thought of having to be vulnerable to strangers again in order to find a husband made her want to die even more. She was too emotionally exhausted and depressed to even think about romance and knew her recovery was going to be a very very long one. Being with Teban would be safe and secure, he already knew everything about her and Ruy, and she knew that he already cared for her as much as any family member could.

Teban, on the other hand, needed a wife and couldn’t stand the thought of faking a relationship just to please his parents. What he _wanted_ was to continue his horticultural studies (his real passion in life), and if he married Iria then the problem would be solved. She already knew him and loved him for his quiet, bookish intelligence, and she already knew what he wanted and didn’t want in a relationship.

It would be the very best case scenario either of them could hope for. 

And so, a few months later, they were married.

Although their relationship was always more emotional and intellectual than physical, at some point they did decide to have a child together. Their daughter Luzia is the light of their lives and they both love her dearly. 

Iria’s marriage with Esteban is nothing like her relationship with Ruy’s ever was. He’s blonde and green-eyed, quietly caring, always carrying a book, would rather be in a garden than a party, has never done anything reckless in his life, and rarely gets worked up over things. And honestly Iria prefers it that way.

She was able to keep living her life without trying to erase Ruy from it. Esteban was exactly the kind of safe stability that she needed and she will always be grateful to him for it.

Their marriage is a quietly happy one, they’re always comfortable together and feel safe with each other, supporting the other in whatever goals they have. Teban was absolutely vital in Iria’s emotional recovery, and always works hard to try and make her as happy as he can.

2nd

**Anonymous** asked:

Looking at tags- To be fair you only mentioned esteban once.

Haha yeah, when I say overlooked I mean by myself/the main story. x)

Everyone is pretty amazing at picking up on details, but Esteban and Teto just don’t have space for their stories in the main storyline, meaning that they don’t get their time in the spotlight until someone is curious enough to ask.

(Although they both have appearances in post-finale oneshots, shhhhhh.)

3rd

**Anonymous** asked:

Is esteban aro or demi?

Esteban is Asexual/aromantic since while he has always cared deeply for and is protective of Iria, it’s always been in a way that is platonic. He has never experienced sexual or romantic attraction toward anyone, but does love Iria very much as his best friend.

They are essentially two best friend roommates that are raising a child together, doing their best to help and support each other however they can.

3rd

**Anonymous** asked:

How do teban and Ruy get along in worlds where Ruy and Iria got married?

They always like each other because Iria loves them both, but Ruy and Teban never really get too far beyond “friend of a friend” level.

Like they’re happy to see each other and will pleasantly chat it up, but they wouldn’t go off to have a guy’s camping trip on their own just for kicks.

Their personalities and interests are just too different, the only place they really intersect is Iria.

3rd

**Anonymous** asked:

So when she told Ruy she loved esteban, she didn't mean 'in love' like Ruy probably meant? Right? Is Ruy/Iria still possible in villain au future?

Well.

We’ll have to wait and see.

There’s two chapters left in the Ruia storyline, one pre and one post finale.

The thing to keep in mind is that Iria is very loyal, and Ruy would never ask her to do anything that he doesn’t think she would be comfortable with.

5th

**Anonymous** asked:

What was it that inspired you to create the Villain AU? I know you planned on it just being a one-shot of a what-if scenario where Héctor via Undertale genocide route, but how did that idea come into being in the first place?

Good question!

The beginning of the idea started back in the early days when the first evil Hectors started appearing in the fandom. They were all “swap” or “reverse” aus where they would essentially just body swap Ernesto and Hector’s characters or clothing, making Hector the egotistical unmarried performer and Ernesto the soulful musician with a wife and child.

Like, they’re fun in their own right, but essentially the aus took Hector _completely_ out of character just so he could be drawn all dark and angsty and malicious looking. No real plot or reasoning was behind the evil Hectors, they were mostly just superficial to hit a certain aesthetic. The art I was seeing was unsettling, but in a “yeah that’s not Hector” kind of way, not in a true fear way.

I talked with Slush a lot about the things I liked and didn't like about those kinds of au’s, and how ridiculous it was to try and Imagine _Hector_ of all people as a true villain, if he was in character.

Which is about when I saw [this art](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/172254262718/wonderful-bengo-20180326-reverse). It was the first evil Hector art I saw where he wasn’t coldly sneering or brooding, instead he looked warm and playful, but still with that razor edge in his smile.

That was when I realized that Hector wouldn’t be a cold villain like Ernesto, like everyone so far was trying to paint him as, but a warm villain. Your favorite uncle who’s also in the mafia and _will_ kill a man if he has to, but he’d really rather not and will tell you so since he’s on his way to his daughter’s birthday party. But he will if you make him.

It still felt a little far-fetched, but my imagination was chewing on the puzzle now, prompting me to experiment with a oneshot to explore what a completely in character evil Hector would look and act and think like. What would have to happen for canon Hector to go down a path so dark and twisted that he would be a real full-fledged villain in his own right.

And thus villain au was born.

One of the most common things people tell me is that they are chilled to the bone to see that Hector is still Hector, that he still is the same person with the same start as canon, and it’s circumstance and bad choices that lead to moral disaster. Nothing is handwaved or skipped over, you see in excruciating detail _exactly_ how Hector got to where he is, and even worse, you understand why he would make all those choices.

And _that_ is what’s frightening. The fact that you understand him and to some terrible level relate to him, even when he is at his very lowest.

7th

##  [Coco Villain au–Ruy: Star-Crossed](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/177814403619/coco-villain-au-ruy-star-crossed)

by im-fairly-whitty (Four years after Iria’s death.)

**Star-Crossed:** _adjective, literary_

  1. (of a person or a plan) thwarted by bad luck.



“There’s so many…plants.”

“You’ve got your nose back on your face and all you care about is grass?” Ruy teased, elbowing Seba in the ribs.

Or rather, he elbowed him in the side, his friend’s bones securely hidden under flesh and skin like any living person would be.

The street they walked down was a wide and quiet one, the sun above as pleasant as an eternal warm spring day. On either side of them lush green lawns dotted with exotic flowers swept across wide expanses, leading to ornate homes looked over by impossibly large and stately trees that quietly shaded the streets in pleasant silence.

“I’ve only been in this area once Ruy,” Seba said, his eye-rolling a little disorienting now that he had eyebrows, “the _last_ time we were going to visit Iria and you chickened out. I got over having a nose last time, this time I’m focusing on plants.”

Ruy chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets to hide the way they were shaking slightly. Small talk was good, it was distracting. And Seba was right, after decades in the Land of the Dead, where the only plant you ever saw was marigold petals, this side of the afterlife was jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Not that anyone around here could _actually_ go dropping their jaw bone. What with looking alive and all.

“Well hello there neighbors, y’all looking for someone?” said a voice to their left.

Ruy and Seba looked over to see a blonde young man, a little older looking than them, working in a flower bed near the side of the road, a set of tools by his side. Rich black soil was up to his elbows and a happily panting golden retriever was sprawled in the grass beside him.

“Si, we’re looking for Iria Adaruinu?” Ruy said, walking over and crouching down to pet the dog, who happily rolled over so he could scratch its belly. The fur felt so indescribably soft when you had skin to feel it with.

“Sure thing, she lives right over there,” the man said, pointing down the road a bit with his trowel. “I’ll tell you boys what, I lived all the way to my eighties and never met a sweeter lady than Miss Iria. Y’all friends of hers?”

“You lived to your-“ Seba started, looking at the young man in confusion.

“Muchas gracias, si, we are.” Ruy said, talking over him, “And she certainly is the most lovely woman who ever lived. We had directions but everything starts looking the same after a while with all this grass.”

“Ahhh, you boys are from another side then!” The man chuckled, nodding and he brushed his hands off on his shirt, which somehow didn’t seem to stain it. “You know, I thought you might be, what with the way your friend keeps touching his ears. Welcome, I hope you enjoy your stay, however long you’re here.”

“Gracias, you are very kind.” Ruy said, giving the dog a last pat before standing again and continuing on down the road with Seba, leaving the man and his dog to their gardening.

“I keep forgetting people look in their prime over here.” Seba said once they were out of earshot, “Why don’t people just look their death age, like normal?”

“Who knows.” Ruy said with a shrug. “That’s what they think they’ll get, so it’s what they get. We expect bones so we get bones, they probably think we’re even crazier.”

“But we’re all _dead,_ ” Seba reasoned as they turned down the long path leading to Iria’s home, “and that guy’s out gardening like he’s back home in, I don’t know, Germany?”

“I’d have guessed Florida actually,” Ruy laughed, good-naturedly shoving Seba’s shoulder instead of focusing on the fact that they were now only yards away from Iria’s front door, “How long has it been since you’ve seen blonde hair, guey?”

“Too long, I guess.” Seba said.

Ruy held his smile in place, but any other ideas for conversation drained out of him as they got closer and closer to the front door.

“Hey, you know what?” Ruy said, slowing his pace. “I was just thinking-”

“If you’re about to suggest we turn back,” Seba said, rounding on him with an intensely unamused expression, “then absolutely not. You have to talk to your dead girlfriend _sometime,_ today is as good a time as any.”

“I just, I don’t know, maybe she’s busy,” Ruy said, his voice caught somewhere between sheepish and distressed as he tugged on his braid, staring at the house. “You know what, yeah, I’ve changed my mind. Let’s go visit some of my New York buddies instead. We don’t have to waste the trip.”

“Ruy, you said you were bringing me as emotional support, this is me emotionally supporting you.” Seba said, folding his arms.

“And you’re doing great!” Ruy said, turning on his heel, “And now I want you to emotionally support me back to- _owstopit!_ ”

Ruy cried out as Seba grabbed his ear, mercilessly towing him down the path, the pain almost laughably novel.

“Nope. You expressly told me not to let you back down.” Seba said, his grip not budging an inch as he pulled Ruy along the path and up the stairs to the porch. “I’m just doing my job.”

“Then _stop_ doing your job, _ow_ , Seba, come on!”

Seba let go, folding his arms and raising his eyebrows expectantly as they both stood in front of the looming front door.

Ruy looked up at it, his nervous swallow for once not merely an unconscious habit now that he had a throat. His brain was running through calculations of just how fast he would have to run to keep Seba from catching him and towing him right back.

Because he knew she was going to be different.

Iria’s first surprise visit years ago had been bittersweet, as had the few visits she’d made since then. It was surprisingly easy to make small talk when they were both so obviously dead, both a set of bones with painted faces, and her grey hair just another clear visual reminder of the huge divide between them. Things were so out of context from their old lives that they could safely reminisce for a bit and then go their separate way, memories of the ways things used to be still intact.

Ruy patted his hair down again, trying to breathe through the cough in his throat as his thoughts got louder and louder.

Because on this side it wasn’t going to be so easy. She wouldn’t _look_ dead, but she wouldn’t look the way he remembered her either. She’d lived a whole life without him, and her prime, when she was the most satisfied, would likely have been in her thirties, or even her fifties. Everything he held onto about her would be swept away by seeing the “new” Iria, the Iria that had moved on, who’d gotten married, who’d had a daughter.

Who’d left him behind. Because he hadn’t kept up.

And he had to move on now, that was why he’d come, to finally pack away all the treasured memories he had of her, all the unused plans and dreams that haunted him. Seeing her looking older, not just as a skeleton, would help him copy over his old memories of when they were both young.

Because none of the memories he treasured of her could possibly apply anymore, he’d ruined their chances by dying. He couldn’t keep wishing to have her, that she would have him. He couldn’t keep deluding himself into thinking things could have been different.

“Are you going to knock or…?” Seba asked, sighing.

“I’ll do it.” Ruy said, staring hard at the wood.

He took a step forward, raising his hand to knock, feeling like he was having to force it through an invisible barrier.

He had to. He could take it, he could handle seeing her older, different, seeing that she’d _lived_.

Ruy rapped his knuckles against the door. Hard. He wasn’t going to have Seba telling him to knock again because he was too quiet.

A long moment stretched by, the pounding in his ears nearly distracting him as he listened intently.

“Well.” Seba said after a minute. “You tried.”

“No.” Ruy squeezed his eyes shut, his gut twisting unbearably as he faintly heard footsteps from inside. “Someone’s coming.”

He would play it cool, he would follow her lead. Things were different now, it would be fine.

The door swung inwards, opening to reveal a fine house inside made up of dark wood and white marble and expensive rugs.

“Ruy?”

Ruy stared, feeling like he’d been slapped. He felt like he was dreaming, hallucinating. Iria was standing there in front of him with her hand on the door, staring back at him in equal shock.

She was _young._

She was _exactly_ as he remembered her.

Smooth dark skin, laughing hazel-brown eyes. Her hair was free and untamed in its natural lively locks. Just like it always had been on Sunday mornings, when she didn’t have to straighten and curl it for work. The kind of hair he’d always loved best.

“You, uh,” Iria cleared her throat, smiling as she laughed a little in embarrassment at their mutual staring. “you look like…you.”

“You haven’t changed a bit.” Ruy said in awe, taking a step forward, but then stopping himself.

In every one of the thousands of dreams he’d had of her, this was the part where he kissed her. This was the part where he swept her into his arms, where they were together again. Every bit of him was demanding that he go to her, every fiber of his being screaming, _she’s there, she’s right there_!

But things were different, things had to be different now.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call ahead.” Ruy said, not taking his eyes off her for a moment, his nails digging into the palm of his hand painfully. “I should have let you know I was coming, I’m sorry, you said to come by sometime, and…I did.”

“No, no, I’m glad you did!” she said quickly, stepping back and waving them in, “Come right in, I’m so glad you’re here.”

“I’m Sebastian, Ruy brings me places when he can’t bring Caprice.” Seba said, shaking Iria’s hand once they were in her parlor. “I’m glad to finally meet you after hearing Ruy talk about you so much.”

“Good things I hope.” Iria said with a smile, “Follow me back to the kitchen and I’ll get you two something to drink, I was about to make myself a mint julep.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely good things!” Seba said, glancing at Ruy as they followed Iria down a long hallway hung with paintings.

Ruy trailed his fingertips along the edges of the painting frames as they passed them, gazing up at them as if he could drink them in. Soulful abstracts, gentle portraits, sweeping landscapes and everything in between.

“Iria, your paintings, these are absolutely stunning.” he said, forcing himself not to linger too long as they passed by canvas after canvas.

“Thank you, how did you know they were mine?” Iria asked, pausing in the doorway of the kitchen to look back at him.

“I’d recognize your brushstrokes anywhere.” Ruy said, his gaze shifting from the canvas to her.

_Ruy, what’s all this? I can barely see your apartment under all this junk._

_Canvases! Paint! Paintbrushes! I am making you a painting studio, you always say you would like to learn, and now you will practice whenever you like!_

_But, Ruy, I don’t know how to paint…and how much did all of this cost?_

_Which is why you must learn, Estrella. Come, pull up a seat, see how beautiful this shade of orange is, it is almost as stunning as you are._

Ruy wondered if she was remembering the same thing, or if maybe she was thinking of the countless hours she’d spent at that easel he’d bought her in a side room of his apartment, the one with a balcony. So focused on practicing that she would barely notice when he would join her, gently kissing the back of her neck as a hello.

Judging by the way she was still gazing back at him, she just might be.

He’d wondered if maybe she’d forgotten those things, those memories that he used as lifelines.

“I’ll warn you boys now, you can’t get drunk on this side,” Iria said, pulling a smile back on as she waved them into the kitchen after her and opened a fridge to retrieve a stack of three metal cups. “but it still tastes as good.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had one of these before.” Seba said, watching as Iria set the three frosted tumblers on the counter.

“It’s her specialty.” Ruy said, leaning against the kitchen counter with his arms folded, several feet away from Iria as she took a bowl full of mint leaves and sprinkled some in the bottom of each tumbler, followed by a shot of syrup. “Her mama’s from Louisiana, and apparently everyone’s always drinking one of these in New Orleans.”

“Best thing on a hot summer’s day.” Iria said, muddling the contents of each cup before adding bourbon to each. “But they’re just fine for any other day too.”

Ruy watched as she scooped crushed ice into the tumblers, that was the part he always used to do, and he didn’t miss the way she glanced at him as she did it. Once the tumblers were full she dusting powdered sugar over the whole thing, added extra sprigs of mint leaves on top and then passed out the drinks.

Ruy could tell they were both being extra careful not to let their fingers brush as she handed him his.

“I’ll need to go pick some more mint from the garden soon.” Iria said, looking away from him and into the empty bowl instead.

“I can go get some for you.” Seba said.

“Oh no, it’s alright, I-”

“It’s no problem, I actually haven’t seen a garden in years, honestly I’d love to.” Seba insisted, pulling at his backward cap self consciously as he edged towards the doorway, drink in hand.

Ruy was about to protest being left alone with Iria, but caught her glance at him, as if she were looking for his permission to send Seba away for a bit.

Ruy swallowed whatever he’d been about to say with a sip of his drink instead. 

“Thank you Sebastian, that’s very sweet of you to offer.” Iria said, “Take the hallway to your left, it’ll take you right to the back door. The mint plants are in the far back right of the garden.”

“Bueno. I, uh, I might be a while.” Seba said, looking from Ruy to Iria and back with all the subtle social grace of a nineteen-year-old, and then left the kitchen.

The silence between Ruy and Iria was a long one, and it only seemed to get longer when they finally looked at each other instead of their cups.

“Thank you for the drink.” Ruy said, his brain sifting through the millions of things he wanted to say and picking the safest option instead. “I haven’t had one of these in ages, you can’t grow mint on our side.”

“Pretty much everything seems to grow over here.” Iria said, looking like she was forcing her smile.

He’d thought things could be as easy as they always were when she visited him…but it wasn’t remotely the same. Ruy’s heart ached as he looked at her, letting himself watch. Leaned back against the counter, barefoot in her pastel orange sundress, holding her mint julep as she watched him back. She was biting her lower lip…just like she always did when she was trying not to cry.

“I shouldn’t have come.” Ruy said, forcing himself to look away from the four feet of empty space between them and at his frosted glass instead, setting it on the counter beside him.

“Why….” Iria paused, looking like she was trying to compose herself, “Why did you die?” Iria asked, choking a little as tears began rolling down her cheeks, “Why, Ruy?”

“Iria, no, don’t, por favor, no.” Ruy said, feeling regret and panic rise inside him as he took a step forward. “Please don’t cry, I’m sorry.” 

“I was going to call you.” Iria said, setting her glass down to try to wipe away the tears now streaming down her face, “The night you died, I went to your father’s concert, I realized I’d been wrong, I realized I shouldn’t have let you go, I realized I should have been there for you. I, I called you, and you, you never answered, and, and-”

Ruy didn’t remember crossing the last few feet to her, but suddenly she was in his arms, pressed against him as she sobbed, he didn’t remember their mouths finding each other, but it was already too late. Years melted away as her fingers traced into his hair and as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her as close to him as he possibly could.

And they were back in his New York apartment again.

He was seeing her after she’d had a long day at the embassy, showing her just how much he’d missed her while she had been gone. Or maybe they were outside her building, saying goodnight after spending an evening at a symphony together, telling each other between breaths that they had to stop, that they had to really say goodbye for the night. Or maybe it was the middle of the night, and one of them had woken the other just to tell them again how much they _needed_ them, how much they couldn’t live without them by their side.

But they weren’t, and they knew it, and it only made it worse.

Ruy ran his hands up her arms, reveling in the sensation of his fingertips on her skin, of the way she still fit perfectly against his chest, of the way that they still knew how to kiss each other after all these years.

“Why?” Iria gasped, holding his face close, kissing him again, kissing the breath right out of him.

“I died because I fell apart,” Ruy whispered, tears rolling down his own face as he wiped away the tears on her cheeks, “when you left. You knew you had to leave, I would have ruined us both, you were right, I’m sorry Iria.”

“I was _wrong_ , I wanted to come back.” Iria said, grabbing his collar, her beautiful eyes shut tight as she buried her face against his neck, the broken anger in her voice tearing at him, her tears hot against his skin. “But you were _dead_ Ruy. I had to go to your grave alone, I couldn’t even go to your funeral. I had to tell a piece of rock with your name on it how alone I was, how much I missed you, how much I didn’t want to move on without you.”

“You had a whole life, Estrella,” Ruy said softly, “you did move on, you had everything you ever dreamed of, you _lived._ ”

“I didn’t want to live, I wanted to live with _you_.” Iria said, her voice barely a whisper as she leaned against him, her hands still on his collar like he might disappear at any moment.

Ruy had no words, and so he said nothing. He held her tight, burying his face in her hair, trying to memorize her smell again as he gently kissed behind her ear. Just like he always used to.

Because things should have been different.

He should have held onto her, he should have faced whatever was keeping him back and tried harder sooner.

He should have stayed sober that night, should have gotten someone else to drive him home.

He should have been there to pick up the phone when she’d called. 

But…he hadn’t.

“You moved on.” Ruy said, gently taking her hand and kissing her palm.

“I didn’t.” Iria said.

“You can’t say that.” Ruy said softly, holding her hand to his cheek, closing his eyes. “I’m not strong enough for that, Rita.”

They stood in close silence, too many things inside Ruy fighting to be spoken, but none of them right.

“I have to go.” he said.

He felt her press tighter against him. “I know.”

Ruy held her as close as he could, wishing he could do something more. Wishing he could turn back time, wishing he could be a better man for her right now even.

Letting go of her felt like dying, but he did it. She turned away as he stepped back, unable to look at him as he took in one last look of her, and then he quietly walked out of the kitchen.

He tried his hardest to shut out the sound of Iria sobbing once he was out of sight.

As he walked back down the long hallway he found Seba looking at paintings, a fistful of mint leaves in one hand.

“Are we leaving?” Seba asked, looking back towards the kitchen as Ruy grabbed his arm and towed him towards the front door, “Are you okay? What happened? I just figured you guys needed some space.”

Ruy shook his head, pulling him along as they crossed through the parlor and out the front door. Seba was silent as they walked up the path to the road, as they walked back up the road into town, all the way to the docks and onto the ferry.

Seba was quiet as they sat on the ferry together. The boat chugged along through the water, slipping across some indeterminate point to the other side, leaving them both skeletons again.

“You…still love her.” Seba said quietly.

Ruy silently leaned against Seba’s shoulder.

And cried.

7th

[**ibrithir-was-here**](https://ibrithir-was-here.tumblr.com/) asked:

Alright, my brain woke me up at 6:00 with this and it's not letting me go back to sleep until I ask you, so my question is this-- as wonderful as Ruia is, what about Luzia? I figure it's not really a problem while she's growing up and all, becaude her parents obviously love her and care deeply for each other, but how does/will she deal with things once she crosses over? I just...i just can't help but feel it's pretty hard luck on her to find out her parents are basically divorced, even amicably.

So…it’s…complicated…

First of all, Iria and Esteban _do_ still live together. The house belongs to both of them and they see each other regularly throughout the day as they go about their own projects. Esteban spends most of his time in the extensive garden he’s planted out back, in fact he was actually out there at the time of Ruy’s visit. He and Seba had a good chat while Seba was taking as long as possible to pick his mint leaves.

But the fact that Esteban was never even mentioned in the chapter certainly speaks to the state of his and Iria’s marriage. You wouldn’t necessarily think to tell a visitor that your roommate is home the same way you would tell them your husband is home.

They’re still best friends who care for each other, but after Luzia left home to strike out on her own their reasons for doing “married people things” while at home evaporated. (As sometimes happens in marriages.) Their relationship became very laid back, they even actually have separate bedrooms even since that kind of thing has never really been a big part of their relationship and Esteban snores terribly.

Luzia had several decades of seeing her parents like this while they were all still alive, and while it’s perhaps a little unusual to have your parents be friends rather than romantic partners, it’s something she’s used to, made much easier by the fact that they all still love each other and enjoy supporting each other as a family.

As for Ruy, Luzia grew up hearing all kinds of stories about him, he’s not a secret, and as she got older her parent’s relationship made a lot more sense as she fit the puzzle pieces together, especially after she herself got married.

But even though Iria, Esteban, and Luzia are on the same page about the state of the marriage, it’s still plenty complicated. Iria is a very loyal person, and now she has the problem of never having stopped being loyal to Ruy, but also to Esteban as well.

If she _was_ already divorced then Ruy’s visit would have come much sooner and ended much differently. It’s the fact that she is still married that made the visit so terrible for them both when it ended the way it did.

There’s no easy solution to their problem. Iria would never try to get a divorce unless Ruy explicitly asked her to, and Ruy would never ask her to do that, putting them in an excruciating kind of limbo between what they want and what they feel like are their duties.

But also remember that on Luzia’s side at least, she’s got grandchildren of her own back in the land of the living. She’s a tough cookie, don’t worry too much about her. By the time she ends up dying twenty or thirty years from now she’ll be able to handle whatever might have happened in the meantime.

13th

**Anonymous** asked:

How did Iria first hear about Ruy's death?

Without cellphones it ended up being a heart-wrenching international phone chain.

Ruy’s body was identified the morning after his death, leading to his emergency contacts being notified who were his agent and a friend of his.

Once that friend heard, the devastating news of Ruy’s death spread like wildfire to everyone who had ever known him and even a lot who hadn’t, the phone directory boards lighting up across the east coast with tearful and shocked words like “Ruy” “Rodrigo Rivera” “crash” “drowned.”

But most importantly, “does Iria know.”

Their relationship hadn't been public knowledge and only a few of their closest friends knew a few of the recent tragic details of their breakup, namely that they were still in love and that Iria needed to know.

Friends called friends who called friends who called the Maldonian Embassy. The Embassy staff was very familiar with Ruy and heart broken to hear the tragedy. They immediately contacted the Maldonian embassy in Mexico, who tracked down Iria to tell her that Ruy had died in person.

Perhaps the saddest thing of all was that by the time she knew, there was an entire international heart-broken community that had been anticipating that dreadful moment together.

13th

[**wee-chlo**](http://wee-chlo.tumblr.com/) asked:

“Emergency contact was his agent and one of his friends” /ouch/ How did his /family/ find out about his death?

Unknown to Ruy, Imelda had given his agent their personal number in case the worst ever happened. The Rivera family was notified within minutes of Ruy’s body being identified.

Arrangements were already made and Ruy’s body was on its way back to Mexico by the time Iria found out that he’d died.

Ruy had actually left in his will that he didn’t want to go back to Mexico or be buried anywhere near his family should he die. Instead he’d rebelliously requested to be cremated and his ashes scattered in Central Park.

…but he’d never quite realized his lawyer was technically employed by Hector and Imelda, meaning that that when he died the will was quietly shuffled away and his body brought home to Santa Cecilia anyway.

The one exception that was made for his sake was he had a separate private burial plot instead of being interred in the family mausoleum.

13th

[**bluebutterfly1**](https://bluebutterfly1.tumblr.com/) asked:

I am so happy that Rodrigo loves my favorite disney princess' daughter! I know that Rodrigo is named after Rodrigo De Souza from Mozart in the Jungle, but how did you name Iria? Keep up the great work!

Awww thanks! I will! :)

Ruy does love her very much, and yes, Tiana is the best Disney princess hands down!

[@slusheeduck](https://tmblr.co/m6RoCOMrf9aNc6jybGk6vRQ) helps me behind the scenes with everything villain au and when we were looking for a good name for Iria’s character we went with Slush’s homemade Maldonian language rules, which give Maldonian females Portuguese names, and Maldonian males names that are from India (Naveen, Rishi, ect).

We sorted through Portuguese names until we found “Iria,” [which is a Portuguese name that means “peace”](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fnameberry.com%2Fbabyname%2FIria&t=MTMwZjJiODI4OGM0NjI2ZTI2OGY0NjczYjg3ODY4ZTI2NDg0ZGUwMSxiMzZiNzNkNTk3OTRmY2MyMzcyNTk1YzI4MjYyYzAyMGU0MjIwMmIy). It seemed like a good fit since that’s exactly what Ruy desperately needs, the sounds in it are nice, and it works with Spanish diminutives (Iri-ti-ti-ta).

13th

**Anonymous** asked:

💔 Although my heart is breaking for Ruy and Iria, I love your idea of different afterlives being accessible by ferries. Makes me wonder if Cannon Héctor would have tried crossing over on another world’s equivalent to the Day of the Dead like Obon in Japan.

Thank you!!

Having the different afterlives connected by a river not only jives with a lot of mythologies from around the world, but it also explains big questions like where the Land of the Dead gets things like building materials if there’s inter-afterlife trade, instead of having to wait until someone leaves plywood on an ofrenda. We live in a very connected world where cultures and countries can spill into each other, the afterlife being the same way just makes sense.

As for canon Hector, since he likely never really knew any friends or family who weren’t from Mexico it probably would have taken him forever to learn that you can get to other areas of the afterlife, I’m sure that by then his bridge-crossing criminal record would likely have slapped him with an all-port no travel ban across the Land of the Dead. x)

13th

[**agent-numbuh-227**](https://agent-numbuh-227.tumblr.com/) asked:

I've been wondering, what do Ruy and Teto/Victor look like? I know Matty looks like Héctor but what about his brothers?

A lot of people say that Ruy takes after his father, but on closer inspection he actually has a lot of softness from his mother’s side and really doesn’t look much like Hector at all, they just have a similar aura. Ruy is forever wearing ridiculous baggy comfortable clothing, he eagerly welcomed the invention of the Hawaiian shirt while he was alive in New York much to the horror of his friends and family.

Teto, on the other hand, doesn’t really enjoy formal clothing, but he does enjoy looking his best and having other people take him seriously so he puts up with it. In facial structure he has his father’s long face and cheekbones, styled back hair and glasses, but the overall effect is one that makes him look more like his uncles Oscar y Felipe than Hector. He has a very still, cooler energy, unlike the manic, hot energy that Ruy has.

Teto also constantly has a pencil tucked behind his ear since he’s forever scribbling down ideas on any available paper throughout the day, meaning that when he had to start wearing glasses he invested in pince-nez glasses that wouldn’t interfere with his pencil-behind-ear habits. Despite how much his wife Jasmine playfully teases him for them, he’ll defend his glasses choice to the end.

13th

**Anonymous** asked:

Oh goodness, after reading your tags in that one ask I just had the very very forbidden question, what if Héctor jr's wife WAS lashes? Or even anyone in the rivera family that was currently alive

Anon, I’m crying. If Lashes was Teto’s wife then he would never have gotten married.

Teto was _very_ disillusioned with dating while he was young since everyone he met seemed to be obsessed with his family’s fame and fortune and the whole thing was very draining for him. Why go out with people he wasn’t interested in or who would unavoidably become disinterested with him after one or two times out?

A waste of money and time, a useless and inefficient social construct that was pointless at best and exhausting all the time, especially since he had his own projects that he could be working on. Meeting someone like Lashes would have resulted in immediate avoidance and potentially a restraining order depending on how the date went.

He and Jasmine only ended up getting along after being set up on a blind date that they were both dreading. When they met up they had a fantastic time complaining about dating life together and cheerfully mutually agreed to call off their date.

…aaaaand then they sat very comfortably at the same table for the next several hours as they worked on their own projects in peace. Which was terribly refreshing for both of them. They decided to go on another not-date later that week, and the rest is history.

As for Lashes, in the villain au Marco is actually a descendant of Teto and Jasmine’s through his father’s side, which Lashes is forever jealous of since the little twerp doesn’t even appreciate that he’s related to the most gorgeous and talented musician in 1950′s Mexico. (Through their mother’s side they are both descendants of Ernesto De la Cruz, though neither of them know the identity of their forgotten ancestor.)

So Lashes is _kind of_ related to Hector Rivera, or at least that’s what she’ll tell anyone who will listen.

14th

###  [Complementary](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/178066160803/complementary) by slusheeduck

Wit’s been mentioning the other best Rivera son lately, so I figure it’s time to share this thing I wrote for her birthday, where Teto meets his lovely wife Jasmine.

This was _pointless._

Teto huffed to himself as the thought ran over and over in his head. It really was the most pointless thing, going on a date. This would be the…third? time he’d been set up on one, and each one went exactly same way. “Are you related to Tío Héctor?” Yes, that was his father. “Are you a musician like him?” No. “Are you visiting from New York?” No, that was his brother. “So what do you do?” Business mostly. All followed by a few niceties and an assurance that his date did, in fact, have a lovely time, and she’d give him a call next week. (There was never a call, and he was always secretly relieved.)

He fiddled with his glasses before checking his watch. He’d been waiting for fifteen minutes now, and he was more than certain he’d gotten stood up. Which, again, was kind of a relief. Sure, it was a bit of a pain to get all the way to this café without anything to show for it—he was behind on the Rivera Zapatos ledgers, and he’d arranged a meeting with a campaign manager tomorrow that he _really_ needed to mentally prepare himself for—but a quiet lunch in a nice part of the city certainly wasn’t the worst thing he could endure.

He checked his watch again and glanced around for his date—not that he knew what she’d look like, he realized—then pressed his lips together before reaching down into his bag and pulling out a notebook and his pen. _If_ he had some downtime, then he could indulge a little bit. He flipped through the notebook and got to a half-finished diagram of a mechanized nailer for shoes. As much as he liked Tío Oscar and Tío Felipe and _loved_ their inventions, they tended to take their time in the actual _shoemaking_ department. But if he could put this together, then they’d save at _least_ two hours per shoe, and his tíos could spend more time designing rather than nailing.

He’d just written out some notes on the nailer’s size when a flurry of movement startled him. He looked up to see a woman letting out a huff as she quickly tried to pull off her coat.

“Perdón, perdón,” she said breathlessly, shaking her head as he started to get up to help her. “I came here as quickly as I could. I made the terrible mistake of _questioning_ my professor while being a woman, and the argument went much longer than I wanted it to.”

Teto blinked. “What are you studying?” Mentally, he kicked himself—that kind of small talk came _after_ the introductions, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Mathematics,” she said simply, brushing her short hair back into place. “Probably won’t find a way to use it outside of balancing checkbooks for the rest of my life, but I love the _logic_ of it. Even when professors are _less_ than logical about it.” She blinked as she looked up at him, then gave a small, embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry. I should at least wait until the second date to complain about school.”

Teto returned her smile with his own small, unsure one. “I wouldn’t know.” He paused a moment, then added, “But then, I’ve heard that you’re not supposed to mention how bad you are at dating until the third date.”

Her eyebrows rose, and she laughed, making Teto instantly relax, before she held out her hand for him to shake. “Jasmine Flores. And yes, I know it’s unfortunate.”

“Can’t be worse than Teto,” he said as he gave her hand a shake.

“Your _parents_ named you _Teto_?”

He grimaced and shrugged. “Well, no. It’s a nickname. A rotten one, but it’s easier than introducing myself as Héctor Rivera.”

Once again, Jasmine’s eyebrows rose. “You have the same name as…”

“Tío Héctor, sí.”

“Wow.” She gave a little smile as her eyes brightened. “I’m sure you get this a lot, but are you…”

Teto sighed, cutting her off. “Related? Yes. He’s my father.” He pressed his lips together tightly, then leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “Look, Jasmine, you seem really sensible, so I’m going to lay out everything right now so we don’t waste our time. No, I don’t play any instruments—I run the business side of my tíos’ shoe company. Yes, Rodrigo Rivera is my brother; no, I don’t talk to him often. I’m not going to take you to a concert or a movie set for our second date—or, really, any date, because movie sets are off-limits and concerts give me _terrible_ migraines.” He swallowed as he sat up. “I’m very sorry you wasted your time coming out here and that I made you rush from school, but I figured we could save about three hours of pointless chit-chat.”

He watched her quietly, waiting to see her reaction. Would she be angry? Or maybe she’d just get up and leave. That’d be ideal. Worst case scenario would be her insisting they kept the date going despite her obvious disappointment.

He _was not_ expecting her to sink in her seat and let out a sigh of relief.

“Gracias à _Dios!_ Ay, all this week my friends have been teasing me with ‘ _Minita, we’ve set you up with someone related to the most ROMANTIC man in México!’_ I’ve been _terrified._ ”

“Terrified?”

Jasmine nodded, sitting up straight. “I thought I was going to walk into serenades and poetry. I don’t have the patience for that.” She looked up as Teto snorted.

“ _Serenades_? No, no. I have _far_ too much respect to do that to you. A date’s bad enough without me wailing sweet nothings at you.”

“They’re _terrible,_ aren’t they?”

“The serenades?”

“No…well, yes, but I meant dates.” Jasmine shrugged. “I mean, you just put on your nicest face and hope that’s enough for someone you only halfway like to call you again.”

Teto nodded vigorously. “Yes, _yes._ Exactly! And you just get all worked up for it to mean _nothing_. I could do so many other productive things instead of talking to someone I have nothing in common with.”

“ _Exactly!_ And then I have to stay up late with my homework because I had some bore talk my ear off for three hours.”

“Or had to answer stupid small-talk questions that neither of us really care about.”

“Or go see some film I never wanted to see in the first place!”

Teto groaned as he sank back in his seat. “I had one girl _insist_ we see my father’s latest movie.”

“ _No._ ”

“Yes. It was _awful._ ”

“Oh, and they’re such sappy things. I mean, no offense…”

“No, they are! They really are. And I could practically _hear_ her waiting for me to call her ‘Mi alma, mi vida’ at some point on the walk home.”

“Ohh, pobrecito.” Jasmine leaned forward to pat his hand. “Well, don’t you worry. I won’t put you through that.”

He looked up at her and smiled, then leaned forward again. “So, since we’re on the same page, let’s just call the date off.”

Jasmine gave him a wide smile as she leaned forward as well. “That is _the best_ date idea I’ve ever heard. We’ll let this die without a fight. Deal?”

“Deal.”

They stayed put for a moment, both grinning in triumph at the other at their grand idea. But Teto blinked, and Jasmine sucked in her lips as they didn’t move. It wasn’t… _awkward_ —Teto had had enough awkward moments to know what _that_ felt like—but something in him wanted to stay right there with her. After all, it seemed like such a shame to leave one of the few people he’d ever been on the same page with. But, well, he didn’t want to be a _bother._ He raised his eyebrows as Jasmine cleared her throat.

“So, um, yes. Date’s cancelled,” she said, as she settled back. “But…well, it seems a little bit of a waste to come here and _not_ have lunch.”

Teto bit the inside of his cheek before he slowly replied, “It does, doesn’t it?”

Jasmine sucked in her lips again, then nodded down at his notebook. “Is that for your business?”

“More or less, yes. I was writing some notes when you came.”

“I’ve still got my math book in my bag—I wasn’t kidding when I said I came straight from school.” She shrugged. “We could at least get some work done.”

Teto nodded. He bit at his cheek again, then leaned forward and quietly asked, “I hope you don’t mind if I stay here. It’s a little crowded, and I’d feel awful taking up an extra table.”

A smile curled at Jasmine’s lips, and she nodded. “I’d be glad to share a table with you. To work on. Not a date.”

Teto grinned. “Definitely not a date.”

The next hour was surprisingly _lovely._ They both mostly worked in silence, aside from the odd comment on the quality of their food or Jasmine asking Teto to double-check her work. Finally, they agreed they’d overstayed their welcome at the café and made their way out. (Jasmine still staunchly insisted that she needed no help with her coat, and Teto didn’t fight her.)

Once they exited, they stood in an expectant, but strangely not uncomfortable, silence. Teto shifted back and forth, and Jasmine took a breath before fixing her dark eyes on him.

“That was nice,” she finally said.

“Very nice.”

“And I think I’d like to do it again.”

Teto blinked. _Oh._ He wasn’t prepared for _that._ “Would you really?”

She smiled and nodded. “You’re a very good work-partner. Seems a shame to just say goodbye and miss out on more not-dates like this.”

He blinked again, then gave her a slow grin. “It’d be an awful shame. Finding someone to not-date is outrageously hard.”

She grinned, then pulled a paper from her bag and quickly scribbled a phone number on it. She hesitated, just for a moment, before pressing a kiss right below it. “I’m the only girl at the university who wears this color, so you won’t forget who it is,” she said as she handed the now-marked paper to him. “Give me a call when you get the chance, all right? Or don’t. I don’t want to—”

“I will!” Teto said quickly, then cleared his throat and smiled. “Like you said. Seems a shame to just say goodbye. I’ll call you Monday.”

Jasmine smiled. “Then I’m looking forward to it, _Héctor._ ” As his eyebrows rose, she grinned and pat his chest. “Someone needs to stop calling you that awful nickname. It may as well be me.” She lifted her face to look up at him for a moment, dark eyes sparkling, then quickly turned to walk away, hand raised in a goodbye. “Talk to you Monday, Héctor!”

Teto stared after her for a moment, a blur of strange emotions bubbling up in his chest and rooting him in the spot. Finally, he broke from his trance to look down at the paper in his hand, noting how the lipstick stain curled up at the corners in a smile.

He wasn’t a sap. Dating was still stupid, and he and Jasmine were _definitely_ not about to start going through all the fuss that dating ensued.

But for the first time…well, _maybe_ he could see the appeal. 

[YESSSSSSS](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/YESSSSSSS) [honestly i love them both](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/honestly-i-love-them-both)[wveryine thinks that Teto is a cold jerk but hes actually just the only Rivera who isnt completely Extra and is forced to live in villain au](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/wveryine-thinks-that-Teto-is-a-cold-jerk-but-hes-actually-just-the-only-Rivera-who-isnt-completely-Extra-and-is-forced-to-live-in-villain-au)[Jasmine becomes hus rock if sanity and the only way he can survive being around his family](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/Jasmine-becomes-hus-rock-if-sanity-and-the-only-way-he-can-survive-being-around-his-family)[he hates Ruy for doing everything he can to make thier lives more difficult](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/he-hates-Ruy-for-doing-everything-he-can-to-make-thier-lives-more-difficult)[Teto is a very good business man](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/Teto-is-a-very-good-business-man) [a dutiful son](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/a-dutiful-son) [an attentive father](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/an-attentive-father)[and a wonderful husband](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/and-a-wonderful-husband)[he just lives in the worst possible family and cant music](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/he-just-lives-in-the-worst-possible-family-and-cant-music)[meaning he is the most overlooked person in the family despite doing his best to be a good son](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/meaning-he-is-the-most-overlooked-person-in-the-family-despite-doing-his-best-to-be-a-good-son)[i love him and Jasmine so much](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/i-love-him-and-Jasmine-so-much) [thank you again Slush](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/thank-you-again-Slush)

16th

##  [Coco Villain:AU–Ruy](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/178146435724/coco-villainau-ruy)

_Something I wrote for Iria’s birthday (August 16th) and that is an excellent ending point for Ruy and Iria’s story. This takes place between the villain finale and the villain epilogue._

Ruy was asleep again.

Iria looked down from her book as she stroked his hair, his head on her lap as he lay unconscious on the couch, an old quilt draped over him. He had slept the better part of the last week, exhausted and physically broken from the nightmare he’d gone through.

As soon as she’d gotten the call from Seba she’d gone straight to him, finding him propped up on his couch, gaily pretending that it was business as usual despite his visibly broken ribs and arm. But he’d cried when she’d hugged him, careful not to jostle his damaged ribs, letting his story tumble out of him as she held him as tightly as she dared, and she hadn’t left him since.

Coming back to this side of the afterlife, where he had a normal body instead of only a skeleton, had been her idea. Wounds from other sides healed faster here, and his fragile bones wouldn’t be exposed to every unexpected countertop edge or snagging blanket fringe. And besides, she could only imagine that a change of scenery would do him a huge amount of good while he adjusted to finding out the true character of his family.

She gently brushed her fingertips along the edge of his ear as she watched him sleep. It was still a surreal experience to see him looking alive and healthy, both of them looking the same age they’d been. At moments like this it was too easy to imagine that they were back in New York again. That it was another Sunday morning together on the couch while he slept and she read.

It was these moments that confused her the most, making her heart ache and wish impossibly for more. 

She carefully set her book aside and slowly, slowly got up, doing her best not to wake Ruy as she put a pillow under his head instead. He blearily opened his eyes, only half awake as she tucked the blanket back around him. She bit her lip as Ruy’s eyes closed, his hand automatically taking hers as he drifted off again.

She waited a long moment before sliding her hand out of his. At that exact moment she wanted nothing more than to curl up beside him, to hold him close and fall asleep to the sound of his breathing, but…

She needed some air.

She made her way down the hallway to the kitchen, arms folded as she stopped to stare at one of her paintings, not seeing it at all.

Having Ruy back was amazing, she sometimes even suspected that having him in her home with her was doing her just as much good as it was doing him, but it didn’t change the fact that she was still married, that she had a husband to consider.

If Ruy asked her to leave…

But he would never ask her something like that.

And she would never suggest it.

“Something on your mind?”

Iria jumped, turning to see Esteban, her husband of over fifty years, standing beside her. He had his customary botanical text tucked under one arm, his quiet smile on his face, and a hat on his head that meant he’d been out in his garden.

“Teban, you startled me.” she said, forcing a smile and shoving away her train of thought as quickly as she could.

“I was just coming in for a drink and saw you staring through the wall.” Esteban said, pulling off his cap, “How’s the patient?”

“Ruy’s asleep, which is good. He can use all the sleep he can get.” Iria said, looking over her shoulder, then back again. “I, uh, decided to get a drink too. I can’t be sitting on the couch with him all the time can I?”

She’d meant it lightheartedly, but felt a flush of nervousness when Esteban looked away, picking at the cover of his book.

“I…what is it?” Iria asked, already tallying up in her head just _how_ much time she’d spent with Ruy over the last week.

She and Esteban were hardly attached at the hip. Ever since Luzia had left home they generally only saw each other a couple times a day at most, when they passed each other on their way to their own projects. They were still friendly, freely discussing ideas and sharing meals when the fancy struck them, but their relationship had always had a freeness to it.

But even so, she had barely seen him even the three days Ruy had been staying with them. Something she realized with intense embarrassment.

“I just… I guess I’m just wondering why you haven’t asked yet?” Esteban said, scooting his glasses a little higher up his nose with the tip of his thumb as he looked at her. “I mean, he’s been here for three days, you were at his place for three days before that. I’m just a little surprised.”

Iria blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear. She’d told Esteban she was bringing Ruy over to recuperate, but now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember actually _asking_ him before bringing her old flame home to sleep in their living room.

“I’m sorry Teban,” Iria said, “I just, healing happens so much faster on this side, I wasn’t thinking, I should have asked you first. I-”

“Ria, I don’t care about having Ruy on our couch,” Esteban said, setting his book and hat down on a decorative side table. “I care about you being happy. I’m supposed to be the awkward one, but you’re giving me a run for my money. Why haven’t you asked me yet if we can break up?”

“Esteban.” Iria’s eyes widened, the shock jolting through her nearly enough to make her stumble. “What are you saying?”

“We were always plan b, Ria, we both know that.” Esteban said with a sideways smile, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair. “We were both just kids. Your crazy soulmate had just driven himself off a bridge, I just wanted to be left alone so I could study my plants. But we both had to get married, and a childhood friend was much better than a stranger.”

“And we’ve been married for decades Esteban,” Iria said, taking his hand, “it’s been lovely, you’ve always been good to me. We had a very good life, we have Luzia. I’m not going to throw all of that away just because, because…”

“You still love him,” Esteban said, nodding towards the front room, “you’re full of love Iria, and you’ve never let go of him.”

“I married _you_ Esteban, it’s too late for Ruy and me.” Iria said, looking away, “I’m not going to leave you.”

“Remember when we were first married?” Esteban said, sidestepping until he was back in her line of sight, “He’d only died a few months earlier and you were trying to forget him. You thought the only way you could move on was if you cut his memory out of your life completely.”

“Teban, I-”

“And you tried to start painting again,” Esteban continued, folding his arms, “to prove that you didn’t need Ruy to go on, that you could cut away the time you had together and pretend that you were alright, and you remember what happened?”

Iria bit her lip, looking away again. She’d started a pasture scene that had never been finished. It had sat on her easel for months, staring her down every time she passed. She hadn’t allowed herself to work on it if she thought about Ruy, and the picture had remained lifeless until it was eventually shuffled into a closet or attic, forever incomplete.

“It was when you came to terms with him dying, when you accepted that he was part of your life and your past that you came alive again Ria,” Esteban said gently, “you were happier when you stopped trying to cut him out of your life. And right now, I can still see how much happier you are with him here, he _glows_ when you come into the room. He wants to love you and you want to love him. I’m the only one standing between you two and frankly, it’s getting ridiculous for all three of us.”

“I could never ask you for something like this.” Iria said, her hand over her mouth as she tried to hold back the tears.

“Which is why I have to say it first I guess.” Esteban shrugged, scratching the back of his head, “I mean come on, we haven’t even slept in the same room since before you died.”

“That is because of _your_ snoring,” Iria said, laughing a little as she wiped away an escaping tear, “and you know that _you_ were the one to suggest that.”

“And Ruy doesn’t snore.” Esteban smiled, “But really Iria. You don’t have to decide right now, and you don’t have to rush it, but I just wanted to make sure you knew I support you. I love you Iria, but we both know it’s not the kind of love that you and Ruy have. It never has been, and we’ve both always been alright with that. We’ll still be best friends and we’ll still have Luzia, but you can move on. You can go on to your next wonderful thing and I’ll be cheering you on, alright?”

There were a lot of thoughts inside Iria, but none of them were complete yet. She would need time to settle them, to think things over. Something that Esteban of course already knew.

“Thank you.” she said simply, hugging him.

Esteban hugged her back, gently kissing her forehead, “Just keep him away from drink and bridges this time, alright?”

“I’m doing my best.” Iria said, wiping away more tears as they came, “I didn’t ask, how are the new flowers?”

“The Middlemist’s Reds are blooming spectacularly.” he said with a grin, his eyes sparkling the way they always did when he was talking about his plants or their daughter, “I’m thinking about putting them all up along the front path when they’re large enough to take cuttings from.”

“That sounds lovely.” Iria said, marveling at the weight that had disappeared from inside of her.

“Well I’m going to get my drink of water.” Esteban said, picking up his book and hat again from the side table, “You do whatever you need to be happy, alright?”

“Alright.” Iria said, smiling as he walked into the kitchen and out of sight.

Not throwing away. Moving on.

She thought about his words as she walked back to the living room. She stood beside the couch where Ruy lay, he was holding the pillow that she’d left him tightly. His brows were drawn together either in pain, in a nightmare, or both.

Iria gently pulled back the quilt, climbing onto the couch by Ruy to lay down beside him.

She gently tucked his head under her chin, stroking his hair as he relaxed against her, tears coming to her eyes at the memories it brought back.

She didn’t know exactly what would happen next. There would be long talks and loose ends to tie up, big decisions to make and important things to consider. But for now this was exactly what she needed, and what Ruy needed. And with Esteban’s blessing, maybe it was time to finally leave New York behind.

Ruy mumbled something in his sleep, his hand covering hers as she kissed his forehead. She pulled the quilt up around them again and closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she settled against him.

Instead of trying to hold onto the memories they’d had together, maybe it was finally time to start _making_ memories.

Maybe it was finally time for them to have their future together.

______

Is this the end of all their problems? No. Is it the beginning of them both figuring things out and moving on from their past traumas? Yes. Are they going to both have to work through a lot of their issues and bad habits together? You betcha.

This is the end of their main storyline together, but there will be another post at some point which will be a month or two down the line when Ruy starts having to reconnect with his siblings. He and Iria have a lot to process, and even though it’s wonderful to be together now, there’s plenty of real life in their happily ever after that they’re going to have to sort through.

But hey, for now they’re together and happy, so let’s let them rest for a while. They’ve earned it.

\- Wit

17th

**Anonymous** asked:

What happened to Dante and Pepita after the events of “Whatever it Takes”?

Pepita is still Imelda’s alebrije, but it’s clear that her loyalty is somewhat torn since she now disappears for days at a time, appearing on whichever side Ruy is to keep him company and check up on him. Imelda for the most part is alright with this, although really she wishes Pepita wouldn’t leave since she’s often the only company Imelda has other than Coco. 

Dante, on the other hand, is in a difficult position since he is technically a shared alebrije for Hector and Miguel.

He was bonded to both of them, but his behavior was almost always overpowered by Hector’s will, causing him to act in ways that would protect Hector and the family over Miguel’s safety (like the night Miguel died.) He was trained to act as a gaurd/watchdog as well as a personal companion for Hector in life and acted that way in the afterlife, meaning that Miguel now associates Dante with Hector and being trapped.

As a spirit guide Dante has enough intelligence to feel guilty about his role in Miguel’s trauma, (especially when Hector isn’t nearby) as seen when he allows Enrique to steal him away despite Hector having ordered him to keep Miguel in the house.

Dante is still loyal to his master though and stays by Hector’s side during his trial. When Hector is sent to prison Dante goes with him. Alebrijes of small size are allowed to accompany their people pretty much everywhere in the Land of the Dead, meaning that Dante is allowed to keep Hector company while he serves his very very long sentence.

17th

**Anonymous** asked:

How do you think Villain Héctor’s music was affected by his dark deeds? I know that he wrote more songs and he became successful as the years went by, but a musician’s soul is reflected in their songs. What kind of songs would a murderer slowly descending into madness create? Also, I remember from your Worse end oneshot Héctor told Ruy that he had bad reviews too, was the quality decreasing from the stress? Was their ever a point in his life or afterlife that he just couldn’t write anymore?

The thing to remember is that villain Hector was always very loving and devoted, meaning that his music still had warmth and energy during his whole career, but there’s definitely a difference that you would clearly be able to hear if you were to listen to his music beside another older Hector’s music.

There’s a cagey element to his music, as if it’s not willing to commit to the full extent of emotion that it could, being more of a canned performance than a expression of self. It ends up becoming much more superficial towards the end of his career, although the music he writes exclusively for his family does better than the material he composes for the public.

In the end his music never suffers too greatly since by the time his instability really takes hold Hector treats his music more like a necessary process that produces the kinds of results that Imelda tells him are needed.

Worst End Ruy’s music suffers from a mix of stress, the mental fog brought on by his medication, and trying to match what he thinks are his father’s expectations instead of tapping into his own desires and vibrancy.

Worst End Ruy is still producing content by the end of his life, but in an excruciatingly wrote and unfulfilling way since he feels like he’s just going through the motions. In his afterlife his music writing halts altogether for long stretches of time, often spurred back only when he is specifically asked for a new song, and the result is generally pained but painstakingly written as he tries desperately to push through the mental blocks he doesn’t understand in order to create what’s asked of him.

17th

**Anonymous** asked:

After reading the final chapter of Villain AU for a dozen times I had an epiphany, Héctor will be isolated from Imelda and the rest of his family while Imelda will be without her husband for a century JUST LIKE IN CANNON!!! How incredibly ironic that for all their efforts to “protect the family” and each other that they still have the same tragic fate if Ernesto killed Héctor, only worse. You brilliant writer! In the words of Frida Kahlo you have the spirit of an artist! 💐

Thank you for the flowers, and thank you so much! It’s a truly tragic irony. A big theme in this au is no matter how far or long you run, the consequences of your evil actions will always catch up to you in the end. 

17th

**Anonymous** asked:

During or after Villain Héctor’s sentence, are he and Imelda ever going to realize or accept that they are indeed villains or will they keep clinging to the delusions that they were victims of circumstance until they fade?

In their opinion “villain” is a very strong word that absolutely doesn't apply to them. In their eyes they never wanted to hurt people or break the law for ill-gotten gain, only to protect.

They do have regrets about how some events spun out of control and affected their loved ones negatively, but in the end they will always beleive that what they did was a “necessary evil” and that in the moment they made hard choices because they were willing to sacrifice for the good of the family. They only wish that they could have done it better and kept the negative consequences from affecting their family.

17th

**Anonymous** asked:

Hello, this is the anon who sent the Villain AU music ask. Thank you for your response! If it’s alright I have a follow up question now that the main story is over, how will his sentence and eventual release affect his music? Will it be more expressive now that everything is out in the open or will he stop altogether? Can he still play guitar or was his hand permanently shattered?

Hector’s right hand is shattered beyond repair. He has limited use of the thumb, but the rest of the hand was reduced to splinters that ended up blown across the cenote rock fields during his fight with the police that took him down after he attacked Officer Francis.

Had all the splinters been collected and painstakingly reassembled there’s a chance that his hand _could_ have eventually healed to the point of regaining what would have doubtlessly been very limited and very painful mobility due to how well he’s remembered. But since he gained the wound while attacking a police officer none of the squad felt particularly inclined to go back out the next day to try and collect slivers of a murder’s bones.

This left Hector with an excruciatingly painful wound that took a whole year to stop hurting enough for him to be able to focus on things like writing music. He is unable to use what’s left of his hand for anything more than holding a book open, let alone writing or holding a guitar.

During his time in prison he’s a little short for musical inspiration, especially since his musical brand was always centered around feel-good, upbeat songs about family and friends and love.

None of which he has anymore.

After a decade or two when he’s settled in for the long haul and learned to write with his left hand he starts writing poetry. It’s a lot like music and helps him string his thoughts together, but without most of the painful memories. Imelda is the only one who sees most of it, and over the years it becomes very very good.

Hector never writes or releases another public song.

His legacy in the land of the living goes untouched, but sales of his music in the land of the dead slow considerably.

They would have plummeted completely, but Matty and Teto work very fast and very hard to preserve and rebrand the family legacy, upholding the good image of the Rivera family name and the businesses and charities associated with it by publically severing all ties with Hector and Imelda and their work. All proceeds made from any of Hector’s past music is 100% sent immediately to local mental health charities. With a lot of sleepless nights between them Matty and Teto are able to salvage most of the family’s success with aggressive public outreach and tactful PR campaigns.

After Hector is released from prison his fame on both sides of the veil has faded with the natural passage of time and he lives a quiet rest of his afterlife with Imelda. He continues to write things for her, but any of his music he writes or plays is for the most part either for her alone, or for family members that he beleives would never accept it if he were able to muster the courage to send it to them.

17th

**Anonymous** asked:

The 'whatever it takes' finale was so good!!.. I'm kinda curious how the twins would have reacted to the truth spilling out though.. Obviously shocked at finding out what their sister and her husband had actually done, without them even knowing.

Thank you!!

The twins are both horrified when the truth comes out, but honestly they’ve grown very distant from their sister over the past decades and really there’s just too many puzzle pieces that suddenly fall into place as things make too much sense.

It’s actually Teto that helps them get through it since they’ve always been closest to him of any of Imelda’s family. They continue to work together closely in their business endeavors and inventing, do their best to try and move on to rebuild the family for the sake of future generations instead of dwelling on the horrible revealed past.

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

To all of Villain AU Héctor and Imelda’s children: How did you react when your parents’ true nature was brought to light?

Coco:

“My parents have always done what they’ve thought is best for the family, only doing what they thought was the best or only course of action in order to keep their family safe. None of us can ever forsee all the effects our actions will have, but I do know that they are deeply sorry for any of the harm their actions might have caused.

“As for my daughter, Victoria is a heartbreaking example of what happens when we don’t protect our families. While of course we are all horrified at the damage that Ruy sustained during one of her meltdowns she is now receiving the very best care available to try and repair some of the catastrophic mental and emotional damage that was done to her during her death.” 

\- Socorro Rivera, clipping from the court records during Hector/Imelda/Victoria’s court trial

Teto:

“Hola, I know you wanted to talk to everyone but…well it’s been a little difficult to get everyone around, so I can give you a summary. I haven't seen much of Coco since…everything happened. She evidently knew far more about our parent’s activities than she ever let on, which is both unsurprising since she was the oldest, but still frankly horrifying considering the fact that she was our kind of second mother. It brings up a lot of uncomfortable questions about your own internalized moral compass that-”

“Hector, I don’t think they want to hear about your therapist visits.”

“I suppose not, Jasmine. Anyway, we’ve only seen Coco at court and during remediation councils when she accompanies Mama, she spends most of her time with her now I think. Leti’s pretty much retreated into her own family, I think Matty’s the only one that’s seen her at all. I can’t blame her, she’s got her own little ones to think about and she doesn’t have the kind of emotional maturity to really process this right now. Matty and I have been working very closely to salvage what we can legally and PR-wise with the foundation, which has always been his forte.”

“I think he’s trying to bury himself in the work to keep from really thinking about it.”

“I’m sure you’re right. As for Rodrigo…well, we know that he came out very badly hurt after what Victoria did, absolutely horrifying. But then he ran off somewhere before we could contact him and try to settle things. Which honestly is pretty typical of him.”

“He’s been through too much and you know it Hector, you can’t blame him for getting as far away as possible.”

“Yes, I know, but still… Anyway, Jasmine and I have been asking around to see if we can find him, we think we’ve tracked him down to another side of the afterlife where he’s staying with some old girlfriend of his or something.”

“And we’re going to go visit him soon.”

“…we haven’t decided if we’re going to visit him yet…”

“We have decided, because it’s the right thing to do. You just keep putting it off.”

“…”

“Hector.”

“We’re going to _probably_ visit him _sometime_ and it’s going to be awful and pointless, but yes, we’re planning on checking in on him sometime soon to see if he’ll accept some kind of olive branch or if we can perhaps talk. Even though he’s just going to yell at me.”

“My hero.”

“You realize this is literally me going into the lion’s den, Jasmine. All I’m asking for by visiting him is to get my head bit off.”

“I thought Daniel survived in the lion’s den?”

“That’s beside the point.”

“Hmmm.”

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

I'm thankful Villain!AU is over. It was suspenseful and at the end, I just felt relieved. Miguel has believably grown in a short span of time (one of the things I loved about your story) and that Ruy is being fathered (yey!) by Enrique (aaaw :D). I could never expect how the story would end but I'm very happy and pleasantly surprised that a kickass (competent) police lady, Officer Francés, was one of the people who saved the day.

The fascinating thing about pulling down this jenga tower of a family was that ultimately it depended on outsiders to do most of the heavy lifting since everyone on the inside had been worn down to damaged ruts that prevented them from trying to fix the terrifying status quo.

First it was Enrique, who was a family member in good standing but who was new to the dead family. Then it was Ruy who was a member of the dead family but a pariah. Then Seba who wasn’t part of the family but good friends with Ruy. And then Officer Francés, who not only was several steps removed enough to make entirely emotionally unbiased judgments, but also had the power to _stop_ things. 

It took a lot of people doing their part to rock the boat as much as they could, even if it didn’t seem like much or very successful to them, but in the end they were finally able to topple the evil that had been so deeply entrenched in the Rivera family.

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

After Whatever it takes, do Hector and/or Imelda ever attempt to try to contact Enrique, Ruy, and Miguel again, or do they just let them be?

Both difficult questions.

Does Hector feel upset that they were caught? Yes.

Does he feel guilty that everything seems to have spiraled out of control despite his best efforts and negatively affected his family? Yes.

Does he eventually realize after several decades of court-mandated therapy that his family all have issues that can be traced back to his behavior and choices?

…yes?

But also he then traces it back a step farther to the situation that started it all, of Ernesto’s attempt to kill him, of the event that forced his hand, that forced his life down the path that it took, making him struggle so hard to survive and raise a family at all.

He does eventually come to terms with the fact that his actions brought about a lot of bad in the lives and afterlives of others, but at the end of the day he’s too thoroughly entrenched in his coping mechanisms to see how he could have acted any other way. Maybe he was a terrible person, but at least the sacrifice of his soul ensured that his posterity was provided for, that he was able to survive long enough to build a large strong family that could support and care for each other.

Of course he wishes that things hadn’t fallen apart for him personally in the end, that he’d handled that last couple decades better, but he blames himself for being too weak to make it work. He blames himself for not being good enough to find a better way, or to have kept the threads from all getting tangled.

He doesn’t quite see it as “there is a moral right and wrong and I chose the wrong,” but more of a “in a world that was out to get me I did my best and succeeded most of the time, but failed in a lot of ways that collapsed on me later. I wasn’t strong enough to provide for everyone, and now I am suffering the consequences of my weaknesses.”

It’s a very sad and very complex mindset that leaves him drained and despondent, replaying events in his head over and over again to try and see how he could have succeeded instead of failed. Spending nights staring hollowly at the cell ceiling with Dante curled up next to him as he wonders what his great-great-great-grandchildren are doing that year for Dia de Muertos. Counting down the hours until Imelda’s next visit. Writing whatever words he can without triggering the pain in his hand or his heart.

Wishing that somehow he could fix things. That he could fix the emptiness inside and around him that used to be filled with family.

As for if he tries to contact Miguel/Enrique/Ruy:

Hector sees Enrique at the trial when he is called to testify against him. Enrique flatly refuses any other contact with Hector ever, and keeps Miguel far away from Hector, insisting that Miguel and Hector never even be in the same room during the trial. Hector never sees or talks to either of them ever again, both because of Enrique’s wishes and because of the court order against it.

Hector does see Ruy though. Ruy comes to visit him in prison a few years after he’s first locked up and they’ve both had a lot of counseling.

It’s the first real conversation they’ve had in a long long time.

18th

[**ibrithir-was-here**](http://ibrithir-was-here.tumblr.com/post/178226558330)

The song that needs to be in the trailer of the Ruia Movie if it ever gets made

[@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw)

  1. So this song randomly came up on my Youtube playlist and all I could think of was–Oh, hello “Hit rockbottom about to crash his car into the bay Ruy”– And I know you get a ton of those but this cover–(and it had to be this cover and none other) this almost made me cry



(The video is a little weird, but the SONG, the VOICE…)

[**im-fairly-whitty**](http://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/178227089574)

Ruy wrote three acclaimed concertos during his lifetime.

The first was for his father, with everything he thought Héctor might like in a desperate bid for his love.

The second was made of anger and hurt, with a wrathful energy directed at his father for rejecting him, as his family for disowning him, and at life for kicking him at every turn.

His third and final concerto was for Iria, it was written after they seperated. It was full of a devestatingly beautiful grief and loss that brought audiences to tears despite being written in a single tear-streaked weekend before Ruy resigned himself to his abandoned fate and truly spiraled into the end. It was the last time Ruy was ever sober in his life.

This song has the same soul as Ruy’s third and final concerto.

[**ibrithir-was-here**](http://ibrithir-was-here.tumblr.com/post/178228687660)

After reading the heartrending addition by [@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw) I had to draw Ruy conducting that final, shattering concerto.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/178229191394/the-song-that-needs-to-be-in-the-trailer-of-the)

There were nine months between Iria leaving and Ruy’s death.

He wrote his last concerto in the first month.

He conducted it in the second.

He tried to drown out the world in the third.

In the forth he began to drown in earnest.

In the fifth his body began to shut down.

In the fifth he told himself he didn’t care anymore.

In the sixth he wished he was better at lying…

In the seventh his agent put him on mandatory hiatus/probation after his performances and public appearances became utterly dreadful.

In the eighth he traveled to try and find what he remembered enjoying, but without love or music he fell in with sleazy “friends” in Vegas who shamelessly took advantage of the fact that he didn’t care about his money in the slightest and was desperate for any kind of contact.

19th

**Anonymous** asked:

I have this vision in my head of cannon Ruy taking Héctor to meet Iria. Once Héctor is done freaking out about having a nose, he promptly starts freaking out about how great Iria is and absolutely gushes over her and Ruy. It makes him so happy to see Ruy so happy that he almost cries. Héctor also discovers a love of Cajun food and eats five bowls of shrimp gumbo like the bottomless pit of a 21 year old he technically still is. That’s also when the boys discover he’s allergic to shellfish.

Blessed ask.

Luckily for Hector you can’t be seriously injured or ill on Iria’s side of the afterlife, but it’s still enough for Iria to get flustered enough to insist they stay the night until Hector’s feeling better. No one is upset by this. Esteban breaks out the board games (which he still collects) and they all talk and laugh and slaughter each other at cards late into the night while Hector takes it easy on the couch.

22nd

###  [Villain AU Characters As Onion Headlines by @whee-chlo](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/178339093953/villain-au-characters-as-onion-headlines)

[im-fairly-whitty](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/178333516944/villain-au-characters-as-onion-headlines):

**Riveras:** Everything a G*dd*mn Ordeal In Area Family

**Hector:** Area Man In Bad Mood Because He’s Tired And An Awful Human Being

**Imelda:** Area Woman Not Yelling At You, She’s Just Saying

**Miguel:** Average Time Being Happy Drops to 13 Seconds Per Day

**Enrique:** Area Man Now Too Exhausted To Suppress Both Anger and Sadness

**Rodrigo:** Depression Symptom Checklist Speaking To Area Man As No Poem Ever Could

**Victoria:** Study Finds Expressing Anger In Unhealthy Ways Incredibly Satisfying

**Sebastian:** Avoiding Popular Songs Somehow Accomplishment Fo Local Man

**Iria:** Area Woman Not Listened To Again

**Hector. Jr:** Area Man Expected To Work With These Incompetents

**Hector/Imelda:** True Courage Is Knowing You’re Wrong But Refusing To Admit It

**Ruy/Iria:** Relationship Definitely Hurtling Towards Something

**Hector Jr./Jasmine:** Genuine Love and Respect Only Thing Holding Area Relationship Together

24th

[**fanfictionwriter101**](http://fanfictionwriter101.tumblr.com/post/176741015317)

Opening up your WIP like

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/178434279984/opening-up-your-wip-like-primrooks)

[@primrooks](https://tmblr.co/mnfJG3c07-VYl0HdyyViY5Q)

29th

**Anonymous** asked:

After the events in Villain AU, was Victoria’s kidnapper ever freed from the cement?

First of all, why have other people been googling this stuff??

Second, the nice answer would be that yes they get him out…but the real answer is that I can’t really find anything that suggests that you could get a skeleton out of cement in one piece…

Like, they probably will end up at least trying, but I’m really not envisioning them having any real success beyond hesitantly breaking up some big chunks of cement in the hospital wing floor? Being able to specifically locate where he is and then being able to chip away the cement without taking his bones with it would be a challenge.

It’s probably a really weird and really awful ethical dilemma for them to sort through, since leaving the psychotic serial killer in the cement would be ultimately less painful for everyone including him if they just…left him…

Honestly, I really am not sure what they’ll ultimately end up trying, it’s a really sticky situation.

29th

**Anonymous** asked:

How do Hector and Victoria behave in their respective prisons? (Their final, however correct, has slightly broken my heart ^^")

It’s difficult and complicated and messy, but luckily by the time that anyone else dies things have settled down in the Land of the Dead for the Rivera family. Luisa and Socorro are thrilled to see Enrique and Miguel again, as well as their new favorite adopted son/brother Tio Ruy.

[Hector settles in for his long sentence and copes about as well as could be expected.](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/178200561249/hello-this-is-the-anon-who-sent-the-villain-au)

Victoria on the other hand has a very rough first few years. She receives the very best care but she still has a _lot_ of things to work through.

It’s actually when Elena arrives that Victoria starts to make the best progress. Elena is at first appalled to hear everything that’s happened. But while she does NOT at ALL approve of what Hector and Imelda did, she somewhat paradoxically stands by her mother, which means that she stands by her long-lost sister despite the awful things she’s been told.

Elena starts visiting Victoria as much as she can, despite everyone trying to warn her back. It confuses Victoria at first, she has deeply entrenched trust issues. But eventually seeing the way that Elena sticks up for her while still being loving and supportive and “morally good,” like the doctors keep saying, wins her over.

It takes years and years for Victoria to eventually reach a semblance of stability again, but when she does it’s because of her sister’s support and love. She always stays at a mental health facility where she can be monitored and receive the care that she needs, but Elena eventually gets approval to take Victoria out for day trips and visits to get her out and about again.

Victoria is always a little fragile, but for whole decades before she moves on to the final death she lives a very comfortable and nearly normal afterlife with her sister’s company. 


	9. October, November, December 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr asks received during October, November and December 2018 in chronological order. 
> 
> With the main storyline over the rate of asks slows. They are bundling together here a few months at a time for that reason.

1st

[**just-your-average-companion**](https://just-your-average-companion.tumblr.com/) asked:

So this is out of sudden curiosity of mine. How did you come to name the kids that Hector has in the Villain AU? Rodrigo is such a handsome name, goodness, and I was wondering what was your inspiration for it.

Sure thing!

Coco is obviously canon, and Mateo and Leticia are originally OCs belonging to [@whattimeisitintokyo](https://tmblr.co/maCEnh09Z2ahEJwugA5aeaw) so that was already decided.

Hector II (Teto) is named after his father in the villain!au since Hector is obsessed with his own legacy, but in other universes he’s named Victor instead. (Who Coco later names Victoria after.)

Rodrigo “Ruy” Rivera is actually named after Rodrigo de Souza from the show “Mozart in the Jungle.” Ruy’s character takes a lot of foundational character inspiration from De Souza, who is also an eccentric Mexican composer. Although in the end their characters became extremely different, Slush and I both enjoy the show very much and at first named Ruy after him as an inside joke that quickly but became far more serious as Ruy skyrocketed in popularity and became everyone’s favorite son.

5th

**Anonymous** asked:

What’s the story behind Teto’s/Victor’s squirrel alebrije?

(Within villain au he goes by Teto since he’s named after his father, in every other universe he’s named Victor since his father isn’t an egomaniac.)

When Teto was growing up he was by far the most overlooked of the Rivera children. He’s never had any interest at all in music since since it gives him terrible migranes, making him a bit of an odd duck out during his childhood. He was always left to himself as a child since his mother was always busy running Hector’s career, and Hector was always busy spoiling Ruy, who was the musical prodigy, or taking care of Leti who was terminally ill with cancer.

One morning when Teto was alone out on the grounds scribbling in his notebook, he noticed Pepita nearby, she was going after something small. Something that was very much in distress and not very much alive anymore.

Teto jumped up and chucked his notebook at Pepita as hard as he could, startling the cat away from its prey (Teto has a soft spot for animals, but Pepita’s always been _Ruy’s_ pet). Once Pepita had taken off into the bushes he hurried and scooped up whatever it was that she’d been playing with.

It was a baby [Mexican Grey Squirrel](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dmexican%2Bgrey%2Bsquirrel%26safe%3Dactive%26rlz%3D1C1GGRV_enUS751US751%26source%3Dlnms%26tbm%3Disch%26sa%3DX%26sqi%3D2%26ved%3D0ahUKEwjs3Jr48PDdAhWl4YUKHSt1DTsQ_AUIDigB%26biw%3D1920%26bih%3D969&t=NjUzMmQ4MTFiYWRiNzg0NWU2MjU1MzMzOTFmZmMzYmJmNzNkZTc5MixPNkdUY2NqMQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F178778022194%2Fwhats-the-story-behind-tetosvictors-squirrel&m=1). Its back leg was mangled and it was badly hurt, but it was still alive enough to be crying out in pain. Teto wasn’t exactly sure if it had any chance of surviving, but when it miserably curled up against his hand as best as it could his heart ached and he knew he had to try.

He made his way back into the house as quickly as he dared, glaring at Pepita as she stalked him back to the house (remember, in villain au Pepita is a [Savannah cat](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSavannah_cat&t=MTI4MmJkYmVhOTAxN2UyOGEwNTdiNDA2NTBhYzU1ZjY2NjBiZmQzNixPNkdUY2NqMQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F178778022194%2Fwhats-the-story-behind-tetosvictors-squirrel&m=1), very big and often aggressive) but Teto managed to get the squirrel to safety.

Teto got Canela (named after the churros Coco often made) cleaned up and settled in a box with a blanket, taking the time to set her broken leg as carefully as he could with a tiny splint after consulting an animal husbandry book he had on his massive bookshelf. He got her something to eat and then she passed out. Teto watched her sleep for the rest of the day, helping in any way he could think of whenever she moved or needed anything.

Over the next several weeks Teto nursed her back to health, and within a couple months Canela was back to full health, very active, and incredibly spoiled. Teto did his best to be responsible and let her back out into the wild, but Canela was not having it and very stubbornly stayed by his side.

It’s a testament to how overlooked Teto was growing up in that he kept Canela for years without anyone (except Pepita) ever finding out. She was his secret friend when he was the lonliest. She ended up passing away, curled up peacefully in his lap one evening, a few months before he shipped out to serve in WW2, which was a relief since once he enlisted he was terrified that he would have to leave her behind since he had no one he would trust to take good care of her.

Teto always missed her very much for the rest of his life, but when he eventually passed away himself, the first thing he saw when he woke up in the Land of the Dead was Canela curled up asleep on his ribcage. She’s far more brightly colored now and is sassier than ever, and he loves her to pieces.

They’re inseparable now, the only line being drawn when Jasmine joins them a few years later and is displeased when she realizes that she has to compete with a squirrel for her husband’s love. (There is a strict no squirrels on the bed policy, despite Teto’s pleading that Canela will be sad.)

Outside of villain au it’s essentially the same story, except everyone finds out about Canela after a couple days since he has much better and more observant parents.

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

in that short you wrote about Ruy and Iria (which was fantastically adorable i might add) it mention Iria bringing Ruy to the other side or something like that where they have normal bodies? maybe i missed some posts about this but what does that mean? are there different like sectors in the land of the dead?

I’m glad you enjoyed it, these two need more soft moments together. It seems that you missed the [Star-Crossed](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/177814403619/coco-villain-au-ruy-star-crossed) Ruia chapter where Ruy visits Iria pre-villain au after they’ve both died.

The different afterlives are connected by a network of rivers and canals that special ferries can cross. Ruy lives in the Land of the Dead, but Iria is in the Euro-Christian afterlife which is much more like a conventional “heaven” that many westerners might imagine, meaning that when you’re on that side you appear to be alive and in your prime, as opposed to the age you died and as a skeleton like in the LOTD.

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

What colors are Villain Imector’s facial markings? I’ve seen fanart where they’re the same colors as they are in Cannon and I’ve seen fanart of them with the same markings except silver colored but I don’t think you’ve ever really mentioned it in the story. I really like the idea of the different versions of our favorite skeletons having different colored marks because it represents how even thought the are the same people their lives and their personalities have subtle differences (cont)

Thank you! Real life has been pretty good lately, I’ve been getting a lot of things back in balance and it’s felt really good. :) I also love the symbolic imagery of the silver markings, but that’s so far been an artist’s choice, canon Villain Imector’s markings are a little different than that.

First of all, they’re fundamentally the same colors and designs as Canon, the colors being very strong and solid since they are so well remembered (as opposed to canon Hector’s faded and smudged color.) Although if you were to look closely at Villain and Canon side by side you would notice that Villain’s designs seem just a little sharper, that the colors seem just a little darker.

But even though their markings are the same underneath, villain Imector has made some important changes to them.

All the areas that were originally yellow (mainly the leaf patterns on their cheekbones, but also on Hector’s forehead) have been painted in with gold leaf, the antithesis of Ernesto’s silver, but still very much hearkening to what you were saying about their obsession with perfection. Why have yellow when you can pay for gold? It’s a reminder to everyone of their success, but ultimately they are wearing a warm looking color that is ultimately just cold metal.

Aside from the gold inlay, the lines of purple dots under Imelda’s eyes have been inlaid with real amethysts, which glint in the light of paparazzi cameras.

These enhancements are very consciously made, first in that some of the original coloration is preserved to keep their image feeling real and relatable (ie, not having everything done up in gold or silver) but with subtle touches wrapped up in money as a subtle reminder that they are indeed extremely successful and powerful.

Their altered markings are something they enjoy since it’s a constant reminder of how far they’ve come, but if you’re looking at it critically, it’s very easy to see how it also functions as a metaphor of them hiding their true selves, trying to pretend that they’re still who they used to be, but some very important parts of them being hidden under money and fame and the dark deeds it took to get them there.

** NOVEMBER 2018 **

1st

**Anonymous** asked:

I'm starting to think anyone with the name Rodrigo is unnecessarily dramatic. I was playing this MMO and this NPC came to help me on a quest, and we needed to get through this wall in a mine and we found some dynamite. I wanted to simply place the dynamite against the wall and that'd be that. Rodrigo? no no, he said it'd be much better to light the dynamite place it in a mine cart and roll it towards the wall where it would explore almost upon impact. When asked, he replied "FOR DRAMATICS"

“FOR DRAMATICS” is always the correct Rodrigo answer, playing it safe is for losers with no imatination.

2nd 

# Another Year: Ruy

Another year.

Ruy took a long, slow breath, smelling the musty, dead-leaf wetness of the Central Park breeze.

He sat cross-legged under an oak tree, the same one he’d kept vigil at for the last thirty years, having chosen it after his last usual tree had disappeared sometime during the year.

Had the old tree been damaged in a winter storm and been torn down? Had it died naturally and been removed? Had it been taken away just to make room for the others?

He’d never know.

Because that’s what happened when you were dead, the rest of the world kept moving on without you.

He looked up as a wave of wind trickled through the treetops, an ocean of leaves above him rushing against each other. Between branches he could see the overcast night sky above, glowing a soft dim purple with the reflected light from the city outside the park. Around him the steady trunks of old trees stood around streetlight-lit paths.

Between the clouds and the trees and the paths, Ruy felt like he was part of a quiet energy, the space between the trees feeling quietly watched. No one seeing them, but them seeing everything as a jogger or a couple, or a lone walker passed by. Their journey marked by the quiet sentinels around them until then they were gone. Returning everything to silent watchfulness.

Ruy looked up as a soft whispering rush accompanied a gentle shower of rain, the water unseen in the darkness, but becoming a silvery dance of threads in the glow of every street lamp as it fell, pattering against dry leaves for a long lingering minute, and then fading away as gently as it had come.

Ruy looked to his right, gazing at the statue of himself that had appeared in his favorite spot a few years after his death.

Metal arms stretched up to the sky as if about to command the stars into a symphony, standing tall and confident, smiling like he had a secret.

It looked nothing like him.

The fake Rodrigo stood under the soft glow of a light all its own, unseeingly gazing at the half-empty branches of dying leaves above it, reaching for something out of sight that no one would ever see. Ruy had never looked at the plaque to see who had put it there, but he had his suspicions.

But even so, he couldn’t seem to quite leave it alone either, not when they’d put it where he’d always come to think. And so, year after year, it was his silent companion for the night.

Ruy looked ahead again, gently pulling in his braid as he let the familiar quiet stillness of the night wash through him as deeply as he could.

In a few hours he would have to go back. Would have to walk back across the bridge toward death again, would have to pull on a smile and down something distracting to forget it all.

All the rest of the year he would have scores of people to get loud with, to party and yell and scream with as he invisibly raged against everything he’d lost, the music, the friends, the years, the family, the love. All of the potential that had withered up and silently dropped away as surely as the piles of leaves scattered at the foot of his statue.

But not tonight. For this one night he could find something like peace. Or at least quiet.

When he was back home for these few precious hours he could look his life in the eye again as he sat alone with only the trees to judge with him.

Ruy stared up at the night sky. Looking for what it was that his metal self was reaching for.

Somewhere far behind him, back in the city, a siren wailed quietly in the distance.

———

I’ve been wanting to write about Ruy’s annual visit to Central Park for a while now and tonight was the perfect night to do it. What year is this happening?

Right now, as I write this. (the day of the dead, November 2018)

(I blame [@ibrithir-was-here](https://tmblr.co/mLyJAxGWI43Jy1HuMHMKDpw) for her [fic update earlier this evening](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/179701680224/las-penas-vienen-y-van-chapter-1-ibrithir) that gave me too many Ruy feels, I needed to get them out and happened to be quietly walking through a park.)

[happy day of the dead Ruy](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/happy-day-of-the-dead-ruy) [Ruy](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/ruy) [rodrigo](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/rodrigo) [my ocs](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/my-ocs) [a quiet moment](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/a-quiet-moment)[being home helps him calm his mind](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/being-home-helps-him-calm-his-mind)[anywhere else and being alone sends him into a panic](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/anywhere-else-and-being-alone-sends-him-into-a-panic)[the year after villain au he takes Enrique and Miguel to Disneyland instead though](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/the-year-after-villain-au-he-takes-Enrique-and-Miguel-to-Disneyland-instead-though)[they need it](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/they-need-it)

30th

[**justherefortheasks**](https://justherefortheasks.tumblr.com/) asked:

Was your course in child development one of the reasons why your villain!au has some really good stuff about child psychology and psychology in general? Also, how did you get so good at character analysis and development? You’ve managed to make beloved characters like Hector and Imelda doing something unspeakable totally believable. I’m halfway through your fic, and I’m in awe of your characterizations.

Oh gosh, well thank you!

I’m trying to think back to when exactly I started writing villain!au and I’m realizing that it was right at the end of a semester where I was taking both a course in human/child development _and_ an advanced capstone course in Shakespeare tragedy and film.

So honestly I guess none of us should be surprised that this happened. x)

I think it was definitely both of those classes that gave me a huge boost in characterization because the human development course gave a really good education in how the human brain physically forms and reacts to trauma at different stages of life. But in the Shakespeare course we were constantly in-depth discussion of how damaged and twisted characters are portrayed by different actors and writers and directors, and how thier _souls_ are affected by it.

So honestly it was the perfect storm to create villain au with an A+ grounding in Real People Issues.

I had other help and experience too though, for a year and a half a couple years ago I was working full time with damaged and distressed individuals and families, which gave me what was often an excruciatingly front seat row to seeing first hand how trauma and bad choices domino through generations of a family and how devastating those consequences and thought processes can be. And for certain bits of the au with Miguel specifically I consulted with [@sweetiepie08](https://tmblr.co/mQYWN27F_IV0R4gRCYo4gvg) who works with children going through trauma in a professional capacity and they were a great help to bounce some specifics off of to get his reactions right. 

So there’s been a lot of real life, academic and literary study going not only into just this au, but how all my characters are handled and characterized to be often painfully real, but in a way that is literarily pleasing instead of just gritty. I’m very glad that you and so many others have enjoyed reading and pulling apart the results. :)

30th

**Anonymous** asked:

How did Teto and his wife die in Villain AU?

Teto actually ended up dying from a slow-burn stress induced heart attack, just like Enrique did in the villain!au. That kind of weak heart is actually a genetic thing that runs in the family, Hector would have died the same way a couple years after his car crash if he’d lasted that long.

Teto passed away when he was 62, and his wife Jasmine ended up joining him a whole seven years later. They missed each other terribly and Teto ends up griping sometimes about how long she took, but in those years she ended up remodeling their several homes, cleaning up all the loose ends in their massive company, traveling constantly to visit and help care for their descendants, and generally being busy with a host of projects.

She ended up finally dying at 69 (she and Teto are the same age) and the diagnosis is technically pneumonia, but everyone really knows that she’d just finished everything she’d set out to do and was ready to move on to see what her husband had been up to after she’d left him unsupervised for so long.

(The answer is that he’d built a luxury squirrel run for Canela all over their house which was promptly partially dismantled and relocated upon her arrival.)

30th

**Anonymous** asked:

What’s the story behind the fox fur coat?

_(Referencing_ [ _this art of Jasmine Rivera_ ](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/180670686744/i-hope-your-trip-is-going-well-darling-things) _wearing a fox fur shrug.)_

Welcome to the tragicomedy of Cisco.

To begin with, Jasmine is a good person. She is razor sharp, but she is kind and considerate. She is always careful to think of others, especially in the long term, no matter how opinionated she may be.

But she _loves_ fur.

Jasmine as a rule adores fine and expensive things, and one of her greatest pleasures is wearing fur. Mink, beaver, seal, rabbit, if you can name it her closet has it, all in the most tasteful cuts and fashions, because being wealthy means you can wear whatever you like.

It’s one of the things that Jasmine and Teto have agreed to disagree on in their marriage. Teto loves animals, and the concept of fur makes him queasy if he thinks about it too long, but it’s the 1950′s and he belongs to high society and loves his wife, so he makes the best of it and tries not to think about it as long as Jasmine agrees not to buy the horrible scarf things that still have the heads or feet or tails attached.

And of all the furs that Jasmine owns, her very very favorite is a fox fur shrug she got around the time that she and Teto began courting (as seen in the art this ask is referencing).

She loves it for several reasons, but probably mostly because of the good memories she associates with it of falling in love with Teto, and throughout her life she takes very good care of it, knowing that she will never be able to replace it. It ends up becoming a kind of lucky charm and she ends up wearing sparingly but to some of her more important meetings and things despite it getting old, especially in the last years of her life when Teto has already passed on.

She gets very emotionally attached to the fox fur shrug, but let me remind you that she does not at _all_ like living animals in any way.

And so the day she dies starts off fairly well, what with reuniting with Teto, even if he has a rodent riding on his shoulder. But then, the nurses as the hospital arrive to inform her that her alebrije seems to have shown up.

Which catches both Jasmine and Teto off gaurd because they both know she has _never_ bonded emotionally with any animal whatsoever.

And as an extremely sulky fox with luxuriously glossy fur, long thin legs and a feathered tail slinks into the room before dutifully glaring up at Jasmine, it takes everyone a long horrified minute to realize that this is the fox that what Jasmine’s favorite fox fur shrug was when it was still alive.

There’s been a terrible mix-up. Jasmine demands that they get that _thing_ out immediately. The nurses are flustered and try to explain you can't “take back” a spirit guide. Teto tries to pet the fox (which in alebrije form looks like a [maned wolf](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FManed_wolf&t=Mzk3YjA0MTliMzdlMGEwNzQ4ZWUyNmZjZjljNDVmMzVkNzk5NzJjZCxHU3hQRGIwbA%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180672934944%2Fwhats-the-story-behind-the-fox-fur-coat&m=1)) but it irritably snaps at his hand, not liking this situation any more than they do.

The flippantly named “Capa” (Spanish for “coat”) ends up sulking home after them once they leave the hospital, though no one really knows why. The alebrije seems to hate everyone and everything about this situation as much as Jasmine does.

He does seem determined to get Jasmine back for his decades as a clothing item though, parking himself near her and yell-whining whenever she tries to speak, constantly getting underfoot and flatly glaring at her whenever she tries to dish it back and refusing to be locked out of the house since he seems to have a supernatural ability to get through closed doors.

It seems evident that he _can’t_ leave, and as the months go by the pair settles into a comfortable hatred of each other. But as time passes Capa gets less whiny and Jasmine gets less sharp. She starts looking for him whenever she leaves a room and he starts yelping less when she’s trying to read.

Then one day they’re out and about together in town and Jasmine ends up narrowly yanking him out of the way when he’s nearly hit by a trolley. When they both recover from the shock she tells him not to look into it, but that night he quietly curls up at her feet by the fire and she lets him.

Teto wisely decides not to comment on this shocking development.

The next day Jasmine starts calling him “Cisco” instead of Capa ( _it’s about time he has a real name Hector_ ) and soon enough she’s actually _petting_ him. He starts being protective of her and even occasionally nudging his head under her elbow to demand pats.

If you push it Jasmine will claim that she only tolerates Cisco because petting him feels like having her fur back, but by the time she’s been dead two years she and her alebrije are very comfortable with each other and enjoy each other’s company, even if Cisco still whines dramatically every time she goes to wear fox fur.

Teto is greatly amused by this entirely unexpected turn of events and loves having such a beautiful animal around the house. Canela on the other hand is _livid_ that _Cisco_ is allowed on the couch when she isn’t.

[teto](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/teto) [jasmine](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/jasmine) [cisco](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/cisco) [my ocs](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/my-ocs) [they're such a mess and I love them](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/they%27re-such-a-mess-and-I-love-them)[Canela has really bad jealousy and torments Cisco](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/Canela-has-really-bad-jealousy-and-torments-Cisco)[Cisco and Jasmine bond over their mutual hate of the squirrel](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/Cisco-and-Jasmine-bond-over-their-mutual-hate-of-the-squirrel)[Teto thinks its all hilarious and will defend Canela's bad behavior to the final death because he spoils her so much](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/Teto-thinks-its-all-hilarious-and-will-defend-Canela%27s-bad-behavior-to-the-final-death-because-he-spoils-her-so-much)

** DECEMBER 2018 **

1st

**Anonymous** asked:

In part 1 of Hermanos, Teto mentions that he hates business and only got into it because it was what Imelda did and he wanted Héctor’s attention. If that’s the case what would he have done for a career if he was born Victor Rivera in one of the everyone lives AUs where his parents were decent and if he was able to follow his dreams?

In more fortunate universes Victor pursues his dream of becoming an inventor! His Tios Oscar y Felipe are always tinkering and experimenting, and he takes after them in that way, constantly pulling things apart to see how they work and putting them back together in new and improved ways.

Even in villain au he’s constantly drawing up plans for improved equipment for the zapatera corporation in his spare time, which Jasmine helps a lot with since she takes over a lot of the number crunching so he has more time to do what he loves. Around his home are lots of handbuilt furniture and luxury squirrel perches and improved appliances that serve as an outlet to his tinkering hobby. 

1st

**Anonymous** asked:

I really loved your latest story about Cisco the Fox Alebrije because it reminded me about your earlier posts about La Guitara and tsukomogami. Since Cisco’s fur was something Jasmine loved and had for so long she must have been pouring her feelings into it as well and that created the bond between them without ever having officially met. Which also got me thinking, how many other Alebrijes could have been created this way? Fur coats aren’t the only things humans have made from animals (cont)

I’m glad you liked the story!

Alebrijes themselves are a fun creature to build personal mythos around for fun because the actual creation of the “Alebrije” even as a concept only dates back to about the 1930′s [when the Mexican artist Pedro Linares thought them up in a literal fever dream](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPedro_Linares&t=MTE2NTA1MmM0MzgwNTdlYjIxZjlhNTYzMWZhMjVkNDZlODdkNzQwNiw1dXpkR055Tw%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180700900989%2Fi-really-loved-your-latest-story-about-cisco-the&m=1). Since Pixar was the one to invent their roles as spirit guides instead of just a colorful cultural craft, it’s been a cool opportunity to keep building ideas into them as a functioning type of still new mythological creature.

That’s one of the reasons it was fun to pull Japanese [tsukumogami](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTsukumogami&t=ODI4ODc1MzZkZDRkZTY4YjlhOWRkNDBmZDkxMmU1NDJkZWQ3YzQ5Yiw1dXpkR055Tw%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180700900989%2Fi-really-loved-your-latest-story-about-cisco-the&m=1) lore into them while headcanoning about the skull guitar a while back. I’m not usually one to mash-up different culture’s mythologies, but since alebrijes themselves are a mythologically empty slate it’s a fun opportunity to pull together different ideas from different cultures to make something new that stands on its own two feet in a way that is sound in relation to other mythological creatures.

And you’re totally right about the underlying concept of Cisco’s story; the idea that pieces of animals (fur, feathers, bones, shells, meat, hair, ect.) retain a connection with the spirit of the animal that can be used to harness the energy of that animal even after its death.

Whether that results in the human being able to command the animal’s physical or spiritual traits, bond with them as their spirit animal/guide, or even open a kind of channel to the spirit world and the magics it may contain fluctuate greatly from mythos to mythos and culture to culture. But the underlying concept is a pretty much omnipresent one.

So when bringing this concept into the blank slate of alebrijes as spirit guides, it does indeed bring about the somewhat unfortunate situation that Cisco and Jasmine found themselves in. Because Jasmine was able to find comfort in and take strength from her fox fur, her attachment entered a non-physical realm in the same way that a lucky charm taps into the realm of the superstitious or a religious object taps into the spiritual. It’s the human choice to believe it’s something more than it is that activates the object’s supernatural abilities and connections.

And that human choice taps into what little we know from Coco/Lee about how alebrijes are formed in movie canon, namely that it’s when Miguel accepts Dante as his spirit guide that Dante suddenly gets wings. Meaning that it’s Miguel being willing to form and acknowledge an emotional/spiritual connection with Dante that he achieves alebrije status.

Meaning that with objects like a lucky rabbit’s foot, a fox fur shrug, or a whalebone ward against evil spirits, are likewise able to achieve a supernatural significance and power within their mythos according to the belief of the humans behind them.

Which is a long and fascinating train of thought that Teto ruminates over at length when Cisco joins their household, until Jasmine finally tells him to _please_ stop unless his scholarly rambling will tell him how to magic the fox _away from her hardwood floors_.

[fun fact: Marco Veracruz's alebrije is Chirrido the mink](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/fun-fact%3A-Marco-Veracruz%27s-alebrije-is-Chirrido-the-mink) [who was a small mink scarf he loved as a kid since he could pet it and pretend it was his pet](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/who-was-a-small-mink-scarf-he-loved-as-a-kid-since-he-could-pet-it-and-pretend-it-was-his-pet) [meaning that when they're reunited in the afterlife Marco is legitimately pleased to see him](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/meaning-that-when-they%27re-reunited-in-the-afterlife-Marco-is-legitimately-pleased-to-see-him) [and Chirrido is just a wiggly furry noodle who is ecstatic to see Marco again](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/and-Chirrido-is-just-a-wiggly-furry-noodle-who-is-ecstatic%C2%A0to-see-Marco-again) [alebrijes](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/alebrijes) [meta](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/meta)

3rd

**Anonymous** asked:

I really loved seeing the boys reconcile in Hermanos, it was perfect that the faithful animals helped bring them together. 🐿 🐴 I remember reading the story about how Teto met Canela and thinking that it was a shame Ruy never found out since he loves animals too.

I guess the moral of this story is that pets are waaaay better than significant others when it comes to supporting hard talks?? x)

No idea if that’s generally sound therapy advice haha, but it was exactly what the boys needed in this case. And you’re totally right! Swapping animal stories was such a good things for these two animal lovers to break the ice.

4th

**Anonymous** asked:

If Victor/Teto Rivera were ever animated, who would you want to be his voice actor?

Hmmm, that’s a tricky one!

First of all, after an afternoon of searching it has become clear to me what a very limited pool of Mexican voice actors there are in mainstream Hollywood which is DUMB and should CHANGE because there are a lot of talented attractive people in this world and they are NOT ALL WHITE.

But from what I _could_ find, one of my top picks would probably be [Joseph Haro](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DencaRZust24%26fbclid%3DIwAR3OutnxGYfsumjsqkVoDYhB9cnm2B2_sTyKxBBmhlEj5M8vH9SMAiBZlHk&t=ZTAxOTM5MTdkZTk4NWI0Mzc3MWZkY2RlNzAxYjgwMGQ0MjYxZjMyZixQS0pqS2g3NA%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180816681484%2Fif-victorteto-rivera-were-ever-animated-who&m=1), specifically the acting he does in [Welcome to the Family ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FpHOkPB701Po&t=OThmMzc1ZjZlMmQxZTJiOWRmMWVlYmFhMTEwZDIwMzFiZWVlYzRlMCxQS0pqS2g3NA%3D%3D&b=t%3AQ30Ki5BZatmPrx7X1F9Y4w&p=https%3A%2F%2Fim-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180816681484%2Fif-victorteto-rivera-were-ever-animated-who&m=1)for his character Juinor Hernandez, who is a valedictorian mathlete straight-A student.

^^I mean look at this cutie. He’d actually make a decent match for a young live action actor for Teto/Victor too if he wore glasses and a sweater vest to make him look a bit older in the role. (He’s 31 but has a babyface when he’s clean shaven and his hair isn't grown out, both of which would be necessary for playing Teto/Victor.)

Even though Teto/Victor lives long enough to be a grandfather, his voice is always young in my head, like mid-twenties range, so Joseph Haro is a pretty great fit.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/180817250499/if-victorteto-rivera-were-ever-animated-who)

Okay but now I’m cackling because if the actors of choice were cast for a live action with Teto/Victor (Joseph Haro) and Ruy (young Gael Garcia Bernal) then we get this these two matched up as brothers and you can just _tell_ that they would fight _all the time._

[**primrooks**](http://primrooks.tumblr.com/post/180881132070)

I’m up for this! Joseph coincidentally voices Mateo from _Elena of Avalor_ , and he has a wonderful singing voice!

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/180909486104/if-victorteto-rivera-were-ever-animated-who)

Okay except _now_ I’m laughing because I just realized that Teto/Victor’s actor having a good singing voice is incredibly unneeded because he never sings (since music gives him migraines).

But then I was suddenly imagining a movie or TV show called “Ruy’s Life” which is a full-on musical comedy chick flic and every time Teto/Victor comes on screen when everyone’s singing and dancing he’s just:

  


8th

**Anonymous** asked:

Okay so I just binged the Villain!AU on my commute and all I have to say is: how dare you??? Make me feel these things???? I normally don’t dig these kind of AUs but dang, this one was top notch!!! :D

Why thank you my friend!

Villain au has definitely been one of my most rewarding projects to date. I’ve found that getting to dig into tragic psychological complexities and genuine tension is a favorite puzzle of mine, and that my readers love puzzling it out along with me just as much as I do.

Thanks so much for joining me on the psychological thriller journey that is villain au!

8th

**Anonymous** asked:

Last night I went to a Wind Symphony concert, and they played this song by a Mexican composer (Arturo Márquez) called Danzón No. 2 and It was so amazing and beautiful and absolutely thrilling!! I couldn't help but think that maybe some of the stuff Ruy composes is along the lines of that?

Can I just say that I adore you for introducing me to this composer?

I love the almost reckless energy in this piece, the passionate emotion that playfully dances around and sweeps you up with it. It’s _exactly_ the kind of feeling I would expect from a younger Maestro Ruy’s composing work.

22nd

###  [A Truce by @slusheeduck](http://slusheeduck.tumblr.com/post/180817752913/a-truce)

“Teto, I’m _hungry._ ”

“ _Shh_. You want us getting caught?”

Teto frowned hard at Ruy, who whined before obediently falling silent…at least, for a few seconds.

“But I’m _really_ hungry.”

Teto rolled his eyes. “You want to risk Mamá Mari catching you and making you play?”

Ruy froze in place, eyes wide, then whined again before hugging his rabbit tightly to him and shaking his head.

“That’s what I thought. Now stay _quiet._ ”

Teto settled back against the trunk, keeping his ear open for their family to look for them. Normally, he wasn’t much of a rule breaker, and he _knew_ coming up to the attic would mean him and Ruy getting in a _ton_ of trouble. But this was desperate; _Mamá Mari_ had come to visit, and they’d needed to hide to avoid all the “ _Miiiiijo, look how tall you are!”_ and “ _Mi corazón, why don’t you play for your abuelita?”_ Normally Teto got away with a few cheek pinches and talking about grades, but pobre Ruy was always stuck at the piano for _hours_ , with Mamá Mari cooing over what a brilliant musician he was going to be.

Ordinarily, Teto didn’t mind seeing Ruy in bad situations. But he wouldn’t wish Mari on _anyone_ , not even the world’s most annoying younger brother.

So, the minute he’d heard the trilling “ _Holaaa,_ ” he’d put his latest plan into action. They’d tried hiding on the stairs, they’d tried hiding in their rooms—last time, Ruy had been stuck in a tree and _still_ had to talk to Mari. But Mamá y Papá would _never_ expect him to go up to the attic, much less with Ruy. So, if they stayed _very_ quiet, they might be able to make it though this visit without a single note or sticky kiss.

The problem was, Ruy was the _opposite_ of quiet. The first few minutes had been nonstop shushing and talking and shushing and tapping and shushing and humming. It hadn’t been until Teto threatened to push him back out to deal with Mari himself that he finally went quiet.

And, aside from saying he was hungry, he was doing pretty good at staying quiet. And, surprisingly, he wasn’t nearly as terrible as usual so long as he kept his mouth shut.

The thought just ran through his head as he felt something rest against him. He looked down to see Ruy lean his head on his shoulder, shutting his eyes.

“What are you _doing_ , Rodrigo?”

Ruy pouted. “I’m still hungry, so I’m gonna sleep until Mamá Mari’s gone. Then I won’t think about it _and_ I’ll be quiet.”

Teto was about to tell him that was stupid, but…well, it wasn’t really. And Ruy _would_ be much quieter if he was sleeping. He pressed his lips together, then settled down against the trunk.

“Okay. But you don’t get to sleep on me again.”

“I don’t wanna sleep on you again. You’re _bony_.”

Even so, Ruy curled up against him and shut his eyes again, hugging his rabbit close to him. Teto glanced down at him, then sighed. He’d have to stay super still if he didn’t want to wake Ruy up; he was a crybaby, and being startled awake might set him off and get them caught. He carefully got as comfortable as he could, then leaned his head back against the trunk. He wished he’d brought a book. Or maybe one of his notebooks, so he could work on his inventions just like Tíos Oscár y Felipe. Well, he’d just have to _think_ about them then. He shut his eyes, figuring out how to make a machine that would make shoes all on its own. Ruy’s soft breathing was very calming and surprisingly good for focusing. He could practically see the machine he wanted to build.

He just…

Needed to keep…

_Thinking_ …

But maybe he could let his brain go quiet, just for a little bit.

~

“ _Dios mio!_ ”

Teto jolted awake at the cry, and his eyes were barely open before he was yanked up to his feet. A moment later, Ruy was up beside him, startled awake and automatically letting out a teary “Mamá, _stop!_ ”

“I was worried _sick!_ I didn’t know where you two were, and then I find you up here?” Mamá’s sharp gaze rested on Teto. “ _You_ should know better than this. I have told you over and over again that the attic is _off-limits_ , and then you drag your brother up here?”

“Mamá, I—”

“I do _not_ want to hear it.” She grabbed both of their arms and started marching them toward the ladder. “If your abuela wasn’t here, you _both_ would be in so much trouble. In fact, after you talk to her, I’m going to have a long talk with your father about this.”

Teto glanced over at Ruy as they were marched toward the ladder. His little brother looked up at him with wide eyes. Then, without any warning, he burst into tears.

Mamá paused, automatically letting go of them to turn around. “What is it, mijo, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” she asked, kneeling down to wipe his eyes.

“Do-don’t ma-make me s-s-say hello-o-o,” Ruy wailed. “I do-do-don’t wa-wanna p-p-play!”

Mamá paused, pulling her hands away. “But you love playing the piano, Ruy.”

“No-not f-f-for _hours!_ A-a-abuela do-doesn’t le-let me sto-o-op!”

Teto pressed his lips together as he glanced at the ladder. Ruy was being a spoiled brat, as usual, but maybe he’d be able to sneak by. He took one step forward, but was immediately stopped by Mamá’s outstretched hand.

“ _You_ are not going anywhere. You’re still in trouble for…”

“ _No_ , Mamá!”

All at once, Ruy threw his whole body weight against Teto, hugging him tightly. He looked down at him in surprise, then up at Mamá.

“He…he was _helping_ me! H-he knows how mu-much I didn’t wanna play-y-y.”

Mamá looked between them with a frown before her eyes settled on Teto. “Is this true, Teto? Were you really trying to keep your brother away from your abuela?”

Teto swallowed, then nodded. “I…I don’t want to talk to her either,” he admitted quietly.

Mamá looked between them again, then let out an irritated huff as she pressed her thumb to her forehead.

“ _Both_ of you don’t like talking to your abuela this much?”

They both nodded silently, aside from a couple of hiccups from Ruy. Mamá shut her eyes.

“I…can’t blame either of you,” she said quietly. “But, this only happens _once._ And once your abuela leaves, you’re both in trouble for coming up to the attic.” She pointed down the ladder. “Vamos, mijos.”

Teto was the first to scramble down the ladder, with Ruy just behind him. Once Mamá was down, she herded them toward her and Papá’s room. Shushing them, she ushered them both into bed, taking off Teto’s glasses before tucking them both in just as a trilling “Imeld _iiii_ ta!” came down the hallway. Mamá said a quick little prayer, then pressed her hand to Teto’s forehead just as the jingle of bracelets came to the door.

“ _There_ are los preciosos! Let their abuelita come up to…”

“Lo siento, Mari, but you’ll have to stay back. The boys caught a terrible fever.”

“Oh, no. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, no, they’re fine. But I don’t want you catching it before you head home.”

Teto peeked an eye out from under the blanket as Mamá walked toward Mamá Mari. She glanced back, giving him a firm look to _stay put_ , then turned on her charm as she ushered Mari out and shut the door behind her.

Both boys stayed silent and still for a long moment. Finally, Ruy’s head popped over the blanket.

“Is she gone?”

Teto squinted at the door. “I think so. But we have to stay here.”

Ruy gave a whine. “It’s gonna be so _boring._ ”

“Better than playing piano for hours.” Teto’s brow furrowed, and he looked at Ruy. “Does playing for her really bother you _that_ much? You were really upset.”

To his surprise, Ruy gave him a wide grin. “I’m gonna tell you a secret, Teto.” He scooted a little closer, then whispered, “I can cry about _anything._ ”

“En serio?”

“Mm-hm. I could probably cry right now, but I don’t wanna.”

Teto blinked, then frowned. “So all the times you cried because I upset you…”

Ruy blinked, then gave an embarrassed smile. “If I promise not to do it again, will you not get mad at me?”

Teto huffed and rolled over. _Unbelievable._ Even when Ruy was helping him, he was still a spoiled brat. But…well, he _was_ the older brother. And he should let Ruy know when he’d done something good, even if it _physically hurt_ to do so.

“Hey, Ruy?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for making sure I didn’t have to talk to Mari, either. You didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did.”

“Well, sure.” Without any warning, Ruy crawled over to him, resting his sharp little chin on his arm. “You’re the most boring brother ever, but even _you_ don’t deserve Mari.”

Teto half-smiled, then pushed Ruy’s face to get him off. “All right, all right. Get off or I’ll tell Mamá about your fake crying.”

“No fair!”

“Yes, fair. Now _shhh_ , or Mari will come find us again.”

He glanced back to see Ruy pout at him, but obligingly slide under the covers. He turned back over, letting out a sigh as he stared at the window.

This was probably the only time Mamá would let them get away with this. And it was _really_ awful having to stay in bed the whole time.

But even so, it was probably the best day he’d ever spent with Ruy.

22nd

**Anonymous** asked:

Regarding your theory that animal furs can create Alebrijes, what do you think about virtual pets becoming Alebrijes?

The underlying concept of alebrijes is a human making a soul connection with an animal, and the twist with the animal fur is that you can still bond with the animal soul via a part of their body even after the soul has left it (through claws or bone or fur ect.) So my first reflex is to say no, there’s no Tamagotchi spirit guides flitting around in the Land of the Dead.

But then I remembered the alebrije guitar headcanons I’ve dealt with before, which is very tongue in cheek, but also worth considering in this realm of reasoning. The guitar gains a degree of self-awareness, but it’s still different than a proper alebrije. It’s an object, and its self-awareness and connection to Hector is due to its status as a cursed object that was exposed to intense emotion and trauma. If Hector hadn't been murdered there’s a good chance the guitar would never have “come alive” like it did and certainly would never have gained the ability to curse a child to the Land of the Dead. It’s the guitar’s unique history that gave it the ability to cross the veil, not necessarily Hector’s attachment to it alone.

So I _guess_ if your wife gave you a Tamagotchi that you used to communicate your love to and support your family and then you were murdered and your murderer used that Tamagotchi is his stolen career for decades then _maybe_ you could have a virtual pet alebrije?? x) But honestly I’m just joking, people just don’t interact with their Neopets on the same raw emotional level that the skull guitar was subjected to, and even if they do develop affection for their virtual pets there’s no soul in the virtual pet to bond with like there is with a real animal. It’s just a concept, not a living thing or even an object.

So yeah, it’s a no, but I’ll admit that now I’m chuckling over the idea of Miguel and a Gelert dashing around the land of the dead together.

22nd

**Anonymous** asked:

I just finished your Villian AU because kidnappings cause me anxiety so I was hesitating but I new it was a great fic so I tried to be brave and read it. I'll love to ask, how is Héctor's life in prision? Is he aisled, he has fellows, how do they treat him after knowing he killed a kid? A member of his family, no less. i can't help but compare it with the woman who killed Selena. I know you are very busy but I'll love to know. Oh and will any of you write about Ruy's visit to his father? thanks!

I’m extremely flattered that you still wanted to read it even though it took some scooching outside of your comfort zone!

Hector’s time in prison is very hard on him, but his money at least ensures that he’s held in his own cell away from other inmates and has a very comfortable set-up with his own furniture and possessions. Dante stays with him since spirit-guides are allowed to accompany their owners pretty much everywhere, but it’s his only constant company which is difficult since Hector is a very social person.

He ends up befriending his gaurds who still have a kind of paradoxical respect for him as a previously well-loved celebrity and charitable figure. They know he’s done unspeakable things but it’s easy to forget that when he’s so amiable and desperate for company. (And always remembers your kid’s birthdays and gets you very rich gift baskets for holidays.)

Hector would normally be using his now limitless free time to work on music, but his dominant hand was shattered during his final fight with the police before being arrested. Now all he has left are the ring and pinkie finger and half of his palm. He wears a stiff cosmetic porcelain clip-on prosthetic to cover the damage when he’s meeting with people, but it doesn’t let him do things like write or play instruments anymore, meaning that he’s limited to learning all over again how to write and play with his non-dominant hand which is mind-bendingly frustrating for him.

As for Ruy’s visit to his father [@slusheeduck](https://tmblr.co/m6RoCOMrf9aNc6jybGk6vRQ) actually has a draft of that started, they’re incredibly busy right now so I can’t give any kind of guess when they’ll manage to finish it, but it _is_ in the works!

19th

[**keets-writing-corner**](https://keets-writing-corner.tumblr.com/) asked:

For the character ask... Ruy, 04. Favorite color, 19. Weapon of choice, aaanndd.... 20. Role Model?

**Favorite color** :

A dusky burnt orange.

You might think it’s because it’s bright, but it’s actually because it sounds like slow violins playing and makes Ruy think of autumn, which makes him think of rest.

**Weapon of choice:**

His mouth. Not as in biting, (he’s completely useless in a real fight) but as in talking fast and clever enough to weasel his way out of a bad situation before it would ever come to the point of him _needing_ a weapon. If it’s with family though then his words become his weapons, and it’s a bad time for everyone.

**Role Model:**

When he was little it used to be his father, when he became a teenager it was anyone who looked like they were happy, and as a (young) adult it’s Iria because her life seems so in control and wholesome.

19th

[**dragoncatgirl**](http://dragoncatgirl.tumblr.com/) asked:

7 and 18 for Teto, on the character ask meme?

  1. **Turn-ons:** Teto’s biggest problem with dating was that he doesn’t like thinking _for_ someone, but he very much enjoys thinking _with_ someone. Finding Jasmine was perfect because she wasn’t the kind of helpless, ditzy, chatty girls he was used to his father’s fame attracting to him, but also she wasn’t a pushy, overly-independant jerk either. She was confident and friendly and willing to push ideas back and forth with him which he finds wildly attractive.



There’s also been several times when Jasmine has noticed he’s unusually tired and doesn’t want to attend another one of his family’s gatherings, so she calls ahead to tell his family that she’s violently ill and they regrettably can’t attend. She never tells Teto before she does this, and she doesn't do it too often so they don't get caught, but whenever she announces that she’s “ill” and needs a long evening of cuddling together in bed with a good book to get better Teto is sure she’s the most perfect woman on Earth.

**18: Biggest insecurities:**

When he was a little boy he sometimes had dreams about being a ghost in his own house, that he had become invisible and silent and that no one would ever be able to know he was there. When he was awake he thought about that dream a lot, he didn't mind being left alone most of the time, but developed a habit of asking someone a random question if he ever went too long with no one acknowledging him. Just to check.

As an adult he’s worked to move past those kinds of fears, especially taking care to become the best father and husband that he can, but his biggest lingering insecurity is probably the fear that he’ll say or do (or _not_ say or do) something that will lead to a loved one being pushed into a downward spiral and end up like his younger brother did. He doesn’t like to get in other people’s business as a rule, but he’s always careful to conduct himself in a way that is as non-problematic as possible around family.


	10. February - August 2019

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr asks received during February-August 2019 in chronological order.
> 
> I took a social media hiatus in January, meaning things picked up again in February when I got back to my ask box. 
> 
> Well, we're caught up now. Villain asks are always trickling in now and then so when they build up to a sizable chunk I'll add them here, until then this is officially the completed archive of villain au ask content! 
> 
> Up next is the Villain au art gallery, featuring all the official artwork as well as the lovely fanart done for the au.

**February 2019**

4th

**Anonymous** asked:

What happened to Villain AU Mariana Rivera after the events of Whatever it Takes? Did she reach out to anyone in the family?

Oh well, she always knew there was something a little odd about his son, she knew that wife of his was no good. She’s just so distraught that all her good influence was wasted on such an unfortunate situation like that.

Now if you’ll excuse her, she really doesn’t like thinking too much about that _tragedy_ , it makes her sad and she tries to focus on happier things. In fact she’s got a musical project of her _own_ that she’s working on, wouldn’t you rather interview her for an exciting article like that?

[she is predictably awful and distances herself as much as she can](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/she-is-predictably%C2%A0awful-and-distances-herself-as-much-as-she-can), [moving on to her other projects and only dropping back in on her grandchildren when the coast is clear after Teto's salvaging](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/moving-on-to-her-other-projects-and-only-dropping-back-in-on-her-grandchildren-when-the-coast-is-clear-after-Teto%27s-salvaging)

16th

**Anonymous** asked:

What do Rishi and the rest of Ruy and Iria’s children look like? For some reason I picture Rishi being the spitting image of Tiana’s father.

[**im-fairly-whitty**](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/182837219319/what-do-rishi-and-the-rest-of-ruy-and-irias) answered:

Well since you insist I guess I have no choice but to show off my children :)

Like most mixed-race kids (50% Mexican, 25% African-American, 25% Maldonian) the three Ruia kids are an assorted grab-bag of physical features.

**The oldest is Rishi:** a no-nonsense child with the work ethic of his Mama Tiana. He may not get why his papa is so emotional all the time, but is fiercely protective of his siblings and grows up to be a world-renowned boxer and equine enthusiast as well as a prince.

Appearance-wise he’s actually the fairest skinned of the kids, is as vertically challenged as his father (though still one inch taller than his 5'7’’ father) and has thick curly/wavy hair. This kid is built like a wall and trying to mess with him will leave you feeling like you just ran into one too.

**The middle child is Taran** , the favorite child and the favorite sibling, he’s got the soul of a poet and shares his father’s musical interest and soft-hearted ability to cry over anything. He resides on the autism spectrum with mild undiagnosed Asperger’s, is everyone’s best friend, and a genius with words.

Physically he’s the one who takes the most after Iria’s side of the family, the tallest of the family with the darkest skin, the curliest hair, and overall looking like the spitting image of James (Mama Tiana’s dad). While Rishi may have earned his title of strongest in the family, Tara has the tall frame that could have helped him go far in any sport he chose…if sports as a rule didn’t overwhelm him. A fact that Rishi constantly laments.

**The baby of the family is Luzia** , the sassy bookworm. She’s got a teenager attitude to rival her father’s and enough booksmarts to bamboozle google. She also loves spending time with her godfather Tio Teban, spending hours chatting away with him while they garden. (In her parent’s original universe Esteban was her father instead of Ruy, meaning that the OG Luzia was much more sweet, docile, and fair skinned without the Rivera genes.)

She’s got a complexion that is a light brown that falls between her two brothers. Her hair is dark brown and wavy like her mother’s. She’s the only child who is shorter than her father, but make up for it by wearing shameless platform shoes and heels.

In fact [@ibrithir-was-here](https://tmblr.co/mLyJAxGWI43Jy1HuMHMKDpw) (who I’m friends with irl) has drawn the children before: :

[**ibrithir-was-here**](http://ibrithir-was-here.tumblr.com/post/182837252815)

Hey The first picture is one I did ages ago just for Wit, and the second I made especially for this ask!

  
  
  


17th

**Anonymous** asked:

“The dangerous man isn't loud, boastful, and in the spotlight. The dangerous man is quiet, humble, and concealed in shadows.” I read this quote and immediately thought of Villain Héctor.

Oooooo, _excellent_ villain au quote. It’s one thing to receive the attention for your flashiness, but you get the most done when the world doesn't even realize you’re there.

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

I’m so happy that you’ve told us more about Iria and Ruy’s kids! Is there any chance you can tell us about Victor/Teto and Jasmine’s kids too?

Well, if you insist. :)

Victor and Jasmine have four children: Josefina, Nicolás, Olivia, Adrián

**Josefina is the oldest** and as sharp and sharp dressing as her mother, she loves furs as much as Jasmine does and Marco is eventually descended from her line. She’s got the kind of popular-girl cheerleader confidence that everyone admires but that hides a case of imposter syndrome that she has to wrestle for years. She dabbles in acting for a bit as a young woman but eventually opts for pursuing a career in science full time after getting her masters in theoretical physics.

Physically she is tall and slim and has long dark hair that she has to wrestle into place for an hour each morning to get it wavy and sleek instead of a curly frizzy mess, but no one ever knows since she’s so meticulous about it. She has amber eyes like her mother and is always draped in only the best fashion.

**Nicolás is the second child** and has a head for numbers and is very sassy and dry humored, always teasing his siblings, especially Olivia who never fails to rise to the bait. He inherits a love of animals from his father and grows up to be a veterinarian. He’s always got a quip ready, but has been well trained by his parents to never be hurtful with his humor and is really very kindhearted even if he can be a little infuriating sometimes. In fact he and his much younger cousin Luzia become great friends as they bond over their sassiness, but he gently helps her to be less cutting with her jokes and comments so everyone can have fun.

He takes a lot after his Papá Ernesto in looks in timelines where this applies. He has a strong chin and a ladykilling grin, but he’s got the lanky build of his Rivera side, never putting on significant body weight no matter how hard he tries until his late twenties.He has the darkest skin tone of the family which is probably at last partially because he’s the only kid who enjoys sports and hiking and being outdoors and thus actually gets some sun.

**Olivia is the dramatic middle child of the family** (having inherited both the Rivera and De la Cruz Extra genes) and is constantly pushing the boundaries of her parent’s firm rules, making her the loudest and most likely to cause trouble. (She’s broken her glasses in fights with other children before.) She’s very capable when it comes to making friends and being creative but has a tendency to compare herself to her sister, who seems to stay thin and beautiful without any effort at all. She struggles with her self-image a lot and has to work hard to keep herself in shape since she got shorter stouter genes naturally instead of the slim beanpole frame that her older siblings did. Olivia also wanted to be an actress like her sister was briefly, but she realized that she has terrible stage fright and pursued writing instead.

Physically, Olivia and her second cousin Victoria are said to resemble each other but Olivia insists she’s completely different, people just say that because they both wear glasses. She has a round face and often wears her hair up in a complicated braid that changes every month or so when she gets bored of it. She also likes to dress up, but her choices aren’t exactly fashion as they are eclectic, which drives her sister crazy.

**Adrián is the baby of the family** and the only one to go into music, but more of the technical recording/editing/sound mixing side of music instead of writing it. He’s great friends with his primo Taran who is always so excited to talk music anytime. Adrian’s papa tries very hard to be supportive of his interests, and Adrian appreciates it, but Taran actually _knows_ stuff about music and besides he’s _Rodrigo Rivera’s son_. Adrian idolizes his Tio Ruy, both as an uncle and as a musician, his first remixes are of Ruy’s work.

Adrian looks a lot like his papa but wore his hair shaggy like his uncle Ruy for his teenage years in a kind of rebellion that terrified Teto (who was scared if he messed up as a father then his family would have another youngest musical son who went off the rails) and made Victor roll his eyes (who knew it was just a stage and he’d grow out of it like Ruy did.) In both instances Adrian proves to be much more mellow than Ruy ever was, and levels out just fine after a bit with the help of both his parents’ unconditional loving support.

22nd

**Anonymous** asked:

Regarding your OC Malcom Kevgil, do you think it’s possible that in Wit’s original Villain AU timeline he became Miguel and possibly Enrique’s therapist after everything was exposed?

**[doodleimprovement](https://doodleimprovement.tumblr.com/post/182969961154/regarding-your-oc-malcom-kevgil-do-you-think-its)** answered:

As cool an idea as that is - and it is cool, i’ve certainly thought about it. That wouldn’t really be up to me, as this is not my AU. It’s [@im-fairly-whitty](https://tmblr.co/mkjtIMc-aB1nAfFi9lJaQAw)‘s. 

Though that would be cool, connecting him in the original timeline like that. Its a nice thought. 

[im-fairly-whitty](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/post/182970137274/regarding-your-oc-malcom-kevgil-do-you-think-its)

Well there’s _plenty_ of therapy needs to go around post timeline, so it’s almost guaranteed that he’s enlisted to help at least one Rivera at some point as long as he’s game. 

**March 2019**

**7th**

****

**Anonymous** asked:

You’ve talked about who would voice Ruy and Teto, what about Seba and Iria?

Excellent question!

For Seba the answer is Christopher Von Uckermann, a Mexican Actor who has a confident but not commanding presence, the kind of more chill voice where you know he probably _could_ yell, but he’d really rather not.

This video (https://youtu.be/X772a4_CO00?t=11) from 0:11-0:39 is a good showcase of his voice in English.

For Iria I like the gentle sweeter sounding voice of the African American actress Brandy Norwood, and plus if you watch her in this interview clip from 2:24 until 3:29 she is PEAK young Iria living in New York before she’s decided to marry Ruy.

Iria voice video>> https://youtu.be/Gh4fgkiUi18?t=144

30th

Prior to the ending of Whatever it Takes, had Seba ever met anyone else in Ruy’s family during the course of their friendship? I have this fantasy where Ruy is dragged to a family thing and asks (pleads) Seba to come with as moral support. Seba comes and when he hears Villain Héctor start in on Ruy Seba grabs his friend, starts to leave, and he turns around and goes “By the way, your movies suck” *mic drop* and Ruy is 😳

This would 100% have happened, but in both life and death Ruy is extremely protective of his friends, never even letting his family know they exist. (Which is why Teto later has to go digging through the grapevine to even discover Iria exists despite her being so important to Ruy.)

Seba’s tried to come with Ruy to family events as moral support plenty of times, but Ruy is extremely serious when he turns him down. Seba does have his chance to snark Ruy’s father though during the trial post-timeline though, and is generally very aggressive toward any Rivera he sees after what Ruy went through. 

[he has to be forcefully removed from the courtroom a few times when he loses it](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/he-has-to-be-forcefully-removed-from-the-courtroom-a-few-times-when-he-loses-it). [apparently screaming at the defendant is 'unprofessional'](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/apparently-screaming-at-the-defendant-is-%27unprofessional%27) [well you know what's also unprofessional? TORTURING YOUR SON AND IF YOU HAD ANY-](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/well-you-know-what%27s-also-unprofessional%3F-TORTURING-YOUR-SON-AND-IF-YOU-HAD-ANY-)[seba](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/seba) [ruy](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/ruy) [villain!au](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/villain%21au) [my ocs](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/my-ocs) [seba is really slush's boy but yanno](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/seba-is-really-slush%27s-boy-but-yanno)[tagging purposes](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/tagging-purposes)

30th

**Anonymous** asked:

I've gotta ask about Iria: What's her relationship like with Charlotte, Big Daddy LeBouff and Louis? And has Ruy met them? (Any AU is fine)

While Iria is growing up she spends nearly as much time in New Orleans as she does in Maldonia, which not only gives her a delightful accent that no one can ever quite pin down, but gives her plenty of bonding time with her family friends.

Big Daddy LeBouff and Auntie Lottie do their very best to spoil her rotten, and they’re actually distant relatives of hers! While Lottie doesn’t actually end up marrying Naveen’s baby brother, Naveen does keep an eye out for eligible royal bachelors in his social circles when he gets back to Europe. 

Naveen ends up introducing Lottie to one of the mellow-tempered Solares dukes of Spain who she immediately attaches herself to, and they’re married within a year. One of her nephews down the line is Teban, and she’s one of the relatives who wants very badly for Iria and Teban to be married someday because they’re such good friends and COMPLETELY ADORABLE TOGETHER YOU CANT TELL ME OTHERWISE JUST LOOK AT THEM.

In the villain!au timeline Ruy never met them since his relationship with Iria was a quiet one, but he heard a lot about them. In all other timelines he’s ecstatic to finally get to meet them and loves them both. 

[louis is a tricky middle ground since theres no talking animals in coco so the aesthetic clashes](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/louis-is-a-tricky-middle-ground-since-theres-no-talking-animals-in-coco-so-the-aesthetic-clashes) [in any crossover capacity louis is handwaved](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/in-any-crossover-capacity%C2%A0louis-is-handwaved) [but in a just PATF context Iria does meet him and is completely facinated by him](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/but-in-a-just-PATF-context-Iria-does-meet-him-and-is-completely-facinated-by-him) [even if she cant talk to animals](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/even-if-she-cant-talk-to-animals) [and having a 'pet' crocodile you can read to and go on walks with is fantastic bragging rights](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/and-having-a-%27pet%27-crocodile-you-can-read-to-and-go-on-walks-with-is-fantastic-bragging-rights)

  
30th

**Anonymous** asked:

I know that Matty and Leti are WhatTimeIsItInTokyo’s OCs, but do you have any stories or headcannons about them within your AUs?

Not especially? 

These two act as scaffolding to build the rest of the story around but end up fading once the story starts and really gets going on its own. Kinda like multi-layered wedding cakes where there’s a layer that’s not actually cake but still has frosting on it to make the overall presentation better? Their presence is vital to the story and the set up that lets the rest of the characters shine, but at the end of the day they’re not my OCs and so I hesitate to headcanon with them too much.

In most storylines Letti passes away of cancer fairly young and Matty ends up fading into the background as an adult and/or being killed in conflict after joining the military and serving overseas. 

Both are important, Letti’s illness sets up either deep-seated strife or bonding between Ruy and his father. Matty keeps Teto/Victor from being the oldest son which is important to his overlooked personality in the family. Plus when Matty disappears it allows Teto/Victor to rise to the occasion and be the responsible son that helps manage things. It also makes Imector’s relationship with their remaining children even closer since they’ve lost both of the twins by the time they would have been thirty.

Still plenty of kids left in the family, but setting up excellent grounds for Teto/Victor and Ruy’s development and dynamics as complex characters with nuanced backgrounds. 

**April 2019**

**7th**

**Anonymous** asked:

Can you describe the skeletal markings on Ruy, Seba, Teto/Victor, and Jasmine? Are there any subtle differences between the different AU timelines?

Yall have discovered these kinds of questions are my catnip haven’t you. 

**Ruy, young and old:**

Ruy’s markings are the same patterns in all universes: he has four red dots under each eye socket, two green swirl patterns on his chin that are similar to his father’s, and a large five petal yellow and orange sunburst pattern on his forehead.

In OG villain!au Ruy’s sunburst markings are mostly covered by his messy and unkempt hair, but the overall shape and patterns stay the same across universes. The color of his markings do shift a bit though. Outside of villain!au when he has a happy life and lives to old age his markings are very warm solid colors, but in villain!au his colors are a kind of sickly too-bright, shades taken from a color palette you might expect to see at a club or a rave.

**Seba, young and old:**

Seba’s markings include four burgundy dots under his eyes, gold/navy/burgundy cheekbone leaf patterns, and a large navy blue flower petal pattern on his forehead. In villain!au Seba dies when he’s nineteen years old and is slightly embarrassed at how large the petal pattern on his forehead is so he doesn’t mind that it’s usually hidden by the snapback hat he perpetually wears.

In other au’s, when he lives to be an old man, the flower bud pattern on his forehead is instead a gold flower, and the navy blues on his markings are a brighter blue. His Canadian wife Katrin has long since trained him to wear nicer (but still comfy) clothing than wifebeaters and snapbacks, and makes sure that he keeps his hair neatly brushed to show off his forehead markings.

**Teto/Victor and Jasmine:**

Teto/Victor and Jasmine have very refined markings that are tasteful and symmetrical, mirroring their own stability and intelligence. Jasmine’ markings include midnight blue spiked petals around her eye sockets, a forest green laurel leaf pattern on her cheekbones, and a silver dot by her mouth where she has a beauty mark when she’s alive. Teto/Victor’s markings are three silver dots on each cheekbone, three forest green tally marks over each eye, and two navy blue swirls on his chin. 

Their markings stay the same across au’s since they provide enough healthy stability for each other, they live about the same amount of time, and they have well-balanced personalities. The only difference is that Victor’s green markings are lighter than Teto’s whose green markings are very dark.

24th 

**[djxsunny](https://djxsunny.tumblr.com/)** asked:

What si the name of the daughter of Travis and she ever met Ruy

Trevor Rothfeld (Ruy’s manager while he lives in New York, who is often referred to as “Travis” by Ruy for the sole purpose of annoying him) has a daughter whose name is Lillian Jean Rothfeld. 

Lillian Jean is about fifteen when Ruy dies, but she does meet him a couple times when he’s still alive and from the ages 12-15 she is _obsessed_ with him as her celebrity crush. Ruy finds this super endearing the couple times he comes over for dinner (at Mrs. Rothfeld’s invitation, NOT Trevor’s) because she gets so flustered and starstruck whenever he’s around. 

Trevor nearly has a heart attack when he walks into his daughter’s room one evening and is greeted by a life-sized poster of his worst client smiling saucily at him from his daughter’s bedroom wall. It’s bad enough that working for the Rivera family is what’s putting his daughter through ballet school, does he _really_ have to be reminded of it _this_ often? Ruy does not know about the poster, but if he’d found out he’d have doubtlessly given her even more of his merchandise just to have a laugh at Trevor. 

Lillian-Jean is devastated when Ruy dies and between her and her shell-shocked father the house is very sober for a long time. Lillian Jean ends up packing her poster and fan girl stuff away a month or two later, but pushes herself to take full advantage of her ballet career, partly to honor Ruy, who helped her be able to dance in the first place. She becomes extremely talented, dedicated and one of the best in her field. 

Lillian Jean goes on to grow up and get married and live a normal life, nearly forgetting her childhood crush until she finds all her old Rodrigo Rivera stuff packed away in her attic one weekend and has a good laugh over how obsessed she was as a girl.

She doesn’t realize that her daughter Kay goes on to become roommates with Luzia, the daughter of the woman that Ruy loved so much when he was still alive. 

25th

**Anonymous** asked:

Your artwork of everyone’s skeletal markings was wonderful! By any chance could you show us what markings Iria gets when she visits the Land of the Dead and changes form?

Thank you! And of course, I love drawing my kids.

Iria’s case is an interesting one because she isn’t Mexican at all. She normally exists on her side of the afterlife which is a kind of Euro-Christian paradise where people appear the age they were when they were the most satisfied in life. This means that she normally looks like she’s in her late twenties, but that when she comes over to Ruy’s side of the afterlife to visit she looks both as a skeleton and as her death age, which was in her early seventies.

Visitors to the Land of the Dead (people who aren’t attached to Mexican culture by either heritage or upbringing) appear as skeletons when they visit since that’s to form that area of the afterlife dictates, but their markings are generally very blurry and vague, looking more like abstract tints and colored blurs on their faces rather than the sharp carved-in look that natural residents have. That said, the closer the visitor is to Mexican culture or a Mexican loved one, the sharper and clearer their markings become.

For example, an afterlife tourist who has no connection to Mexico, but is just coming to sightsee would have very faint colored splotches on their skulls. Iria in villain!au however has a very deep attachment to Ruy which gives her clearer albeit faint patterns of gold and orange.

In other universes where Iria is married to Ruy her markings are crisp and clear because she has spent her adult life taking part in her husband’s culture and visiting Mexico, and in her afterlife she and Ruy switch between living in her side and his side of the afterlife which makes her markings even clearer the more time she spends in the Land of the Dead. In these universes, she has red and gold leaf marks across her cheekbones, gold petal marks around her eyes, a gold spot on her chin, and pointed marks on her forehead.

[she continues to straighten her hair into her old age because it was drilled into her as a girl that it was more professional](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/she-continues-to-straighten-her-hair-into-her-old-age-because-it-was-drilled-into-her-as-a-girl-that-it-was-more-professional) [but when she's on her own side and looks 23 still](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/but-when-she%27s-on-her-own-side-and-looks-23-still) [she indulges herself by letting it free in its natural beautiful african-american wavy curly state](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/she-indulges-herself-by-letting-it-free-in-its-natural-beautiful-african-american-wavy-curly-state) [that Ruy always loved so much](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/that-Ruy-always-loved-so-much)

**May 2019**

18th

**[djxsunny](https://djxsunny.tumblr.com/)** asked:

What kind of kid was Ruy (sorry for my bad English 😑)

Ruy was that kid who is always full of an incredible amount of energy, the kind that wears out his parents and leads to extensive stick collections being carefully laid out in the front yard, and coming home to find that the entire bookshelf has been emptied and its contents haphazardly made into an indoor racecar track spanning from the front door all the way to the kitchen.

Despite his boundless energy though Ruy was always very sweet as a kid, always wanting to “make things better” when he saw someone who was sad, even if they were a stranger, and his young prodigy genius with music was very exciting to see in action when he’d sit down with an instrument for hours at a time and be completely lost in concentration.

[one time he saw Hector looking especially worn out and worried looking and snuck into the backyard for a whole hour after bedtime so he](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/one-time-he-saw-Hector-looking-especially-worn-out-and-worried-looking-and-snuck-into-the-backyard-for-a-whole-hour-after-bedtime-so-he) [could present his worried papa a stick and leaf creation once he came looking for him](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/could-present-his-worried-papa-a-stick-and-leaf-creation-once-he-came-looking-for-him) [Hector was never sure exactly what the thing was supposed to be](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/Hector-was-never-sure-exactly-what-the-thing-was-supposed-to-be) [but Five year old Ruy was so sure that it would 'make things better' that Hector coudlnt help agreeing with him](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/but-Five-year-old-Ruy-was-so-sure-that-it-would-%27make-things-better%27-that-Hector-coudlnt-help-agreeing-with-him) [it sat on Hector's desk for a long time](https://im-fairly-whitty.tumblr.com/tagged/it-sat-on-Hector%27s-desk-for-a-long-time)

18th

**Anonymous** asked:

I was rereading a lot of your Villain AU posts when I had a thought about Héctor and Imelda’s second murder victim, the seedy lawyer representing Maria-Teresa Veracruz. From what you’ve written Héctor was really torn up about killing his former best friend, it was eating him up with guilt, and he was plagued by nightmares. If that’s the case then it seemed a bit drastic for Héctor to kill again, but then I thought what if Héctor realized the father of her child was Ernesto? What if the (cont)

  


These are some excellent thoughts, and I’m going to work through them backward.

I really like your point about that if Maria-Teresa had never tried suing Hector that he may never have killed anyone again after Ernesto. You’re right in thinking that offing the lawyer was a sort of gateway to making the Riveras serial killers instead of only one time murderers. Having killed someone once can be a fluke, but once you do it a second time it becomes a valid (albeit drastic) solution to problems in your mind.

The lawyer was easy to rationalize away because the lawsuit was threatening to topple Hector’s entire still new career as a beloved celebrity and performer, especially since so much of his warm “Tio Hector” public image was based in being a good family man, so the fact that they could tell the lawyer was just trying to take advantage of them for their money meant that he was a credible and immediate threat to not only Hector’s career, but to their entire family’s well being.

And that he was being selfish doing it too. 

If Hector really had been the father of the child then there would have been too much guilt and shame mixed into the case for Hector for him to even consider ending it with violence, but since he knew for a fact that he was innocent it made it easy to feel righteous anger toward the lawyer, who was clearly the “bad guy” to be dealt with. 

As for whether they realized the child was Ernesto’s, it’s not something that they consciously dealt with…although the nagging suspicion did in fact cross Hector’s mind during the proceedings, but he never mentioned it to Imelda and tried to forget it had ever even occurred to him. 

It’s actually one of the things that _saved_ Maria-Teresa and her son Sebastian from potentially coming to any harm at the Rivera’s hands, since even the passing thought in Hector’s mind that he may have killed this little child’s father would have broken him even more if he allowed himself to beleive it was true. (Especially having grown up without a father himself.)

**June 2019**

**Anonymous** asked:

Sorry if you've answered this, but how were Tiana and Naveen with the fact that their daughter was in a relationship with an addict like Ruy? (VillainAU I guess, I don't know if he was one in the good timeline)

Very good question! I don’t think anyone’s ever asked that before come to think of it.

Outside of villain au Ruy’s still a party animal with bad habits that needs to get his act together, but he’s not a raging emotionally compromised addict like he is in Villain au, which makes things easier. Tiana and Naveen are still leery of their only daughter falling in love with the disaster that is Ruy, but seeing how hard he works to grow up and Naveen’s own experience of straightening out after a rowdy young adulthood give them enough confidence to let things proceed.

In villain au however things are more difficult.

To begin with, they might never have heard about Ruy or his relationship with Iria if they hadn’t gotten reports from Iria’s security detail and the staff of the Maldonian Embassy. Iria was somewhat cagey at first about Ruy in her letters and calls home, knowing that they probably wouldn’t approve of her running around with someone who had an international reputation for getting drunk, getting high, and stealing horses inbetween gloriously talented musical performances.

But the business of one Royal is the business of every royal, especially when romance is involved, meaning that once Iria’s staff was able to tell that she and Ruy definitely weren’t “just friends” (sneaking out in the middle of the night together doesn’t help your case) Naveen and Tiana were informed and Iria had to have a very expensive long distance call to go over rules. Many of which she secretly broke.

She was required to keep them updated on exactly what was happening in her dating life under threat of being brought back to Maldonia immediately, but she definitely glossed over a lot of the more unsavory or more intimate details. For a while it was fine because Ruy really did much better while they were dating, but when Ruy started to backslide after relying on her too much without getting the help he really needed she started leaving out a lot in her calls home in hopes that he’d get better again.

With what limited information they did have access to, it was actually Naveen that wanted his daughter to cut Ruy off immediately and Tiana who convinced him to calm down and let her learn for herself. After all, Tiana reminded Naveen, women in their family had a knack for dealing with eccentric rich musical party boys. (Naveen was very huffy at his inability to argue this point.)

When the break up came Iria didn’t tell them much about it, instead making her best friend Teban her confidant, so they cautiously assumed everything was alright and had turned out for the best.

A few months later when Ruy died and Iria announced her immediate engagement to Teban they had an uneasy feeling about it all but didn’t feel like they should push the issue when Iria was so obviously emotionally fragile. It wasn’t until much later that they eventually got the full story from Iria after a long night of her crying in Tiana’s arms

12th

  


  
  
  


Happy 94th birthday (June 12th, 1925) to Rodrigo “Ruy” Rivera, Mexican prodigy composer, conductor, NYC lover and favorite child.

Today [@slusheeduck](https://tmblr.co/m6RoCOMrf9aNc6jybGk6vRQ) and I toured Carnagie Hall where he frequently conducted the New York Philharmonic orchestra from 1949-1951 as a guest conductor, and then we attended the Philharmonic’s annual outdoor concert in Central Park where he’d often go to clear his head. Tomorrow we’ll find where his Central Park memorial is.

Happy Birthday Ruy, you wild spirit. May you keep bringing joy wherever your name is found.

**August 2019**

**Anonymous** asked:

🌟 It’s been a while but if you’re still doing the directors cut asks what was your favorite part to write for Villain and Teacher AU?

 **You got it, but I’ll answer these in two separate posts since they’re very different mood-wise.**

**Villain AU:**

I think I’ve talked about it on one of my art streams before, but there’s an Avatar The Last Airbender easter egg in the final chapter of Villain!au. One of my all time favorite character arcs is Azula’s, her decent from powerful sadistic princess to paranoid defanged prisoner is so chillingly well written, and villain!Victoria’s character is very similiar to her. 

Part of what’s fascinating about them is how young both girls are, and the fact that they were born into a situation where their worst qualities were essentially groomed into both of them, whether by her father the Firelord, or her grandfather Hector the murderer. They makes plenty of terrible choices and become a terrible dangerous person, but at the end of the day as you see her become more and more desperate and legitimately delusional you can’t help wondering how much of her mindset is born from trauma, actual mental illness, the consequences of other’s actions, and poor mentor examples that are exacerbated by her own ruthless choices. 

Victoria’s violent death makes her mental trauma far more easily identified, but when compared with Azula the similarities continue to be striking. Remember, Azula’s FOURTEEN in the series for crying out loud, something easily forgotten by how dark her mind becomes. The big difference is that where we see Victoria’s demons for several chapters as her personal triggers crowd around her, Azula’s hallucinations and deep paranoia are only clearly evident in the finale of the show when we finally see things from her point of view as her traumas come slamming down on her, bringing out the very worst. 

We sometimes forget that a young person’s worldview is by in large a product of the adults and environment that raised them. Victoria is largely a product of her deeply broken family and criminal gaurdians. Azula similarly didn’t have an Uncle Iroh to save her like Zuko did (and even Zuko was only saved by constant and exhaustive months and perhaps years of effort combined with his being ostracized by his father), Azula only had the Firelord, the royal court, and friends that supported her sadistic actions to support her actions. 

Victoria and Azula are by no means excused for their violent and sadistic actions, but these underlying causes of their ultimate mental/emotional instabilities make their final defeats tragic. There’s no real catharsis or satisfaction when they finally lose, only a grim relief that they’ve finally been stopped and a lingering sense of uncomfortable pity at how far they’ve been ground down, to the point of having become a weapon with no target left to aim at but herself.

With this in mind, you can now see the easter egg: the parallels between their defeats. Their arcs end much the same: 

Azula chained to a sewer grate while her brother looks on, her hair loose in abject helpless misery as she loses the last bit of control she had, her worst fears having come true. 

Victoria betrayed by her grandfather and wrestled into handcuffs, her hair loose in abject helpless misery as she loses the last bit of control she had, her worst fears having come true. 

[Excerpt from the final chapter of villain!au]

[Compare to Azula’s final defeat, which is precisely what I imagine Victoria’s emotional reaction being]

>> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5clkiJ_azL8>


End file.
